Please pardon the cross-posting,
*My lab is currently looking to recruit additional highly motivated and competitive Human-Centered Design (HCD) PhD-level students with interest and experience in the following areas *(listed in no particular order)*:*
scenarios
automotive industry
*If interested, please contact me directly at <ico@vt.edu ico@vt.edu>.*
*ABOUT HCD*
Virginia Tech's individualized Human-Centered Design (HCD https://hcd.icat.vt.edu) iPhD transdisciplinary degree, offered by the Graduate School https://graduateschool.vt.edu/, is closely aligned with the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT https://icat.vt.edu) and its Creativity + Innovation (C+I http://ci.icat.vt.edu) initiative that serves as its administrative home. This HCD iPhD is a degree designed primarily to support individually tailored PhD experiences, allowing students to actively participate in shaping their plan of study across multiple design-related disciplines in a pursuit of research that defies traditional disciplinary boundaries.
In addition to externally funded faculty-led grants and student-led fellowships designed to support graduate researchers, HCD iPhD also has a dedicated pool of highly competitive 9-month graduate assistantships that also cover the cost of tuition (excluding select fees). These assistantships also offer some of the highest graduate student stipends available at Virginia Tech. Students typically explore a subset of arts, design, education, engineering, human-computer interaction, and technology, and their application and evaluation in impactful scenarios.
The program prides itself in having a low-enrollment and highly individual attention to students. Its affiliation with ICAT and C+I http://ci.icat.vt.edu/ offers access to some of the world-class facilities https://icat.vt.edu/studios.html and infrastructure, including ICAT’s Cube https://icat.vt.edu/studios/the-cube.html. Current and past students enrolled in the program have been also funded through a number of federal foundations and agencies, including NSF, NASA, ONR, and more.
*HOW TO APPLY*
Students interested in the program are expected to have a high level of maturity and independence and should, as part of their application, explore affiliated faculty and identify and communicate with aspirational mentors and potential committee members who will be instrumental in helping them achieve their research and dissertation goals. People who apply must have a Master’s degree or equivalent experience. The application should be also supplemented by a 3-page essay covering what the student’s scholarly interest, how such an interest may fit the HCD program (typically a genuine need to explore 3 disciplines), why the student sees VT and HCD as the perfect fit for their research needs, *as well as whom they have been in contact and who has agreed to serve as their mentor (pending admission)*.The application should be also complemented by an online portfolio (e.g. a website) showcasing student’s past and current work. For additional information on how to apply, please visit the HCD website https://hcd.icat.vt.edu.
While the program reviews applications on a rolling basis with an option of admission in fall, spring, and summer semesters, preference will be given to applications submitted for the fall (October 1) and spring (February 1) deadlines. When possible and applicable, the program seeks to fund all its admitted students. Both the admission and the graduate assistantship award are merit-based.
Students awarded the degree will receive their diploma either through the home department of their primary mentor, or, if the primary mentor's home department does not offer a graduate degree, through the Graduate School. For the non-US applicants, please note that the granted degree is not considered a STEM degree and is therefore currently not eligible for the extended optional practical training option.
In part due to the ongoing pandemic, prospective students are not required to supply their GRE scores. For additional information, please consult the Graduate School website https://graduateschool.vt.edu/.
For general questions and application information please contact co-directors:
Dr. Ivica Ico Bukvic ico@vt.edu
Dr. Scott McCrickard dmccrick@vt.edu
Application Portal: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply.html
Best,
Ico