Openings for Graduate Research Assistantships

The Smart Microsystems Laboratory at Michigan State University is seeking highly motivated PhD students to fill several openings for graduate research assistantships, starting Spring'09 or Fall'09. The Smart Microsystems Lab strives to enable smarter, smaller, integrated systems by merging advanced modeling, control and design methodologies with novel materials and fabrication processes. Research in SML is focused on electroactive polymer sensors and actuators, modeling and control of smart materials, biomimetic robotics, bio and micromanipulation, and control of autonomous swarms. For more information, visit the lab webpage at http://www.egr.msu.edu/~xbtan/sml_index.html.

We have openings in the following areas:

• Biorobotics: design, modeling, and control of robotic fish enabled by artificial muscles.
• MEMS: microfabrication of electroactive polymer devices with application to micro/biomanipulation and biomimetic robotics
• Controls: nonlinear and adaptive control of smart material-actuated systems with application to nanopositioning

The first two positions will be supervised by Prof. Xiaobo Tan while the third position will be supervised jointly by Prof. Hassan Khalil and Prof. Tan.

Successful candidates are expected to

• be well motivated to pursue independent, creative research,

• have strong interest in interdisciplinary research

• have suitable background in one or more of the following areas:

  • robotics

  • MEMS, especially microfabrication experience

  • dynamics and controls

Interested students shall contact Prof. Xiaobo Tan, Director of the Smart Microsystems Laboratory,  at xbtan@egr.msu.edu for more details of these opportunities. Please attach your resume, copies of transcripts (if available), and sample of past work (for example, papers, if available) when writing to Dr. Tan. Applications are accepted until the positions are filled.