Are you interested in visualization? Do you love data? Are you passionate about learning how people use and benefit from visual tools? Are you a hacker who loves to code and develop new software? If you answered YES to these questions, then there may be opportunities for you to get involved in a visual analytics project as part of the VACLab team.
If you are interested in joining the VACLab as a PhD student, you must first be admitted to a PhD program here at UNC. When you apply, you’ll have the opportunity to list David Gotz as a potential advisor. This is the official way to formally request joining the VACLab and working with Professor Gotz.
If you are planning to apply and have an interest in Professor Gotz’s research group, you are strongly encouraged to send Professor Gotz email to introduce yourself well before the official application deadlines. Let him know why you are interested in his lab, what research topics excite you, and why you think you’ll be a good fit for the group.
PhD students with Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) within the lab receive full tuition support as well as an annual stipend and health benefits.
PhD students already enrolled in a UNC PhD program should send email to Professor Gotz with their CV attached to inquire about possible GRA positions within the VACLab. Interested students should be prepared to describe why the VACLab is a good fit for their research interests.
Meanwhile, the VACLab also often works with students on projects without tuition/stipend support. If you are an undergraduate, a Master’s Student, or a PhD student at UNC looking for a chance to volunteer with the VACLab without funding, there may be opportunities for you. Volunteers may join existing projects or initiate new research work in the form of an independent study for course credit. Successful students are typically proficient programmers, have strong quantitative skills, and appreciate the challenges of user experience and interface design. Students interested in volunteer opportunities should contact Professor Gotz via email with a description of their motivations for wanting to volunteer and a resume.
The VACLab is committed to cultivating a welcoming and inclusive culture that values diversity in all its forms. Moreover, the VACLab welcomes and values contributions from all people regardless of race, gender identify, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, physical appearance, age, and life experience.
A statement regarding the VACLAb’s commitment to diversity can be found here.