JOB: Research Assistantships at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech is seeking graduate student candidates for a competitive Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) graduate research assistantship starting with the academic year 2019-20. We are specifically looking for students who are interested in studying in the newfound Human-Centered Design (HCD) transdisciplinary individualized PhD and/or Computer Science’s Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). We are also willing to consider Masters level applicants to the CS program with focus on HCI. Additional assistantships may be available through the HCD program.

HCD Option
Virginia Tech’s new individualized Human-Centered Design (HCD) iPhD
transdisciplinary degree is closely aligned with the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT). iPhD is a degree designed primarily to support individually tailored PhD experiences, allowing students to actively participate in shaping their plan of study.

CS HCI Option
The graduate program in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech is on its way to becoming one of the top programs in the country. The resources and facilities for research areas such as human-computer interaction, bioinformatics, and high-end computing are state of the art, and the growing list of specialized masters and doctoral degrees in a variety of areas provides opportunities for students to concentrate their research and study on the specific aspects of computer science in which they are most interested. At Virginia Tech, students receive firsthand instruction by award-winning faculty. In the computer science department, that means that graduate students have the opportunity to learn from the professors who have helped to define today’s computer industry. The Center for Human-Computer Interaction is a part of ICAT, offering a diverse infrastructure and human expertise for cutting-edge research.

The GAship in question seeks candidates with a solid research background and aspirations with strong communication skills (verbal and written) and a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. We are particularly seeking students interested in sonification, sound spatialization, and interactive technologies, including (but not limited to) NIMEs, mind-body technologies, laptop/mobile ensembles, mobile/wearable/physical computing, etc. Knowledge of Max and Pd/Pd-L2Ork programming environments, C/C++, Java, or equivalent is strongly preferred, as well as skills in other domains (e.g. interactive multimedia, K-12 education, 3D animation, etc.).

This is a renewable assistantship with a full tuition waiver and
a stipend. To be eligible candidates need to apply, be accepted, and enroll in the new HCD iPhD or the Human-Computer Interaction Computer Science program with primary focus in the computer music domain focusing on one or more of the aforesaid areas of interest.

The successful candidate will be given an opportunity to participate in
conducting research using the cutting edge 148+ loudspeaker system and consequently its innovative spatialization, sonification, and immersion approaches in the new $100M Moss Arts Center and more specifically Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology’s three-story Cube space and its smaller counterpart, the immersive Perform Studio, as well as the new DISIS facilities, a part of a $600,000 renovation that opened in January 2015. They will also work closely with ICAT faculty and
students on a number of collaborative projects.

For questions and application information please contact Dr. Ivica Ico Bukvic <ico@vt.edu>

For more information:
ICAT http://www.icat.vt.edu
L2Ork http://l2ork.icat.vt.edu
HCD http://hcd.icat.vt.edu/
DISIS http://disis.icat.vt.edu