Geoenvironmental Lab

Notes about graduate positions, if available (see above)

I receive too many emails from potential applicants expressing interest in training in our group, to the point which I’m not able to send personal responses and engage individually with potential applicants. That’s largely because I’m protective of my time for my group and collaborators.

Here is some info I’ve put together for potential applicants. Other info about CSU’s Civil & Environmental Engineering program can be found at https://www.engr.colostate.edu/ce/graduate-application-information/ and on the About Us page of our lab website.

If there are available positions, and if you find that your interest and those of the lab are in clear alignment, you may naturally wonder whether you would be competitive for admission and funding and how you should put your best foot forward in your application. Commonly, folks want to ask whether this or that type of experience is a necessary pre-requisite, whether we use a cutoff GPA or GRE scores, and so forth. I understand, there is a lot riding on these applications, they are expensive and effortful, and so naturally there is a lot of anxiety and stress about preparing them. To the extent I can, I’d like to reduce all that friction by telling you exactly what I am looking for in an applicant and some examples of how I might evaluate whether an applicant meets these criteria. This isn’t supposed to be a secret test; I’d like you to be as prepared as you can.

The following list highlights some of the key areas I focus on when reviewing applications and some, but not the only, ways to convey that you meet these criterion.

• Criterion: Has specific and developed interests in the topics of the group’s research.
  Example evidence: Usually in statement of purpose the applicant will lay out a coherent and compelling narrative with concrete examples of how they came to be interested in this topic.

• Criterion: Has strong interests in and enthusiasm for problem solving and finding solutions for practical engineering problems.
  Example evidence: Evidence of taking and doing well in practice oriented undergraduate courses or success in internships or professional practice.

• Criterion: Is strongly motivated and perseverant in the face of challenges.
  Example evidence: Provide clear examples of overcoming obstacles, sticking with it, and seeing things through in prior work or personal life. Life consistently presents us with friction and challenges when pursuing our goals, so this doesn’t have to be major life events.

• Criterion: Willingness to work together to meet team goals.
  Example evidence: Maintained (multi-year) participation in clubs, team sports, tutoring, and other activities; letters of reference speaking to being a team-player.

• Criterion: Strong communication skills (writing and speaking).
  Example evidence: Writing samples that are demonstrable of the applicant’s own work (i.e., not a paper that may been written in large part by an advisor), participation in technical presentations / poster sessions, etc.

• Criterion: Not necessary, but experience is a plus.
  Example evidence: Internships or work in consulting or industry.

In addition, there are lots of non-specifics that you may want to convey. For instance, since geoenvironmental engineering is a team endeavor, being good at getting along while getting ahead is important. Or things like creativity and intellectual curiosity might manifest in any number of idiosyncratic ways, and that would encourage you to convey those as well. Maturity and life experience go a long way to helping us understand and shape our views, so these can be a real asset to applicants.

I don’t mean to make this list exhaustive or prescriptive, but merely to highlight some of the major themes and how you might go about conveying them. Importantly, our admission process isn’t just a numbers game, and I encourage you to develop your application materials so that you demonstrate you meet these criteria, however you think is best to do so.

Moreover, I also value diversity in background and life experiences in the group, and so if you are from a traditionally underrepresented group or background or have taken a winding path to get to this point, I encourage you to apply if we otherwise fit your scholarly interests and goals.

I hope this helps you as you consider our lab and program. If after reading all this you have a specific question that would make the difference between applying or not, please feel free to reach out to me to answer that. Please be specific. If I can answer quickly I will.

Best of luck with the application process.

Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action.