This section provides prospective graduate students with some useful information. If you are interested in joining DESIMAL^©, I strongly encourage you to read this information carefully before submitting your application.

I will review your application material based on the criteria outlined below. Please note that my general policy (with a few exceptions) is to give new students an opportunity for 1-2 semesters to prove their dedication and willingness to be involved in serious research. This is essentially important since I hold my group to a very high standard and expect sincerity and hardworking. During the first 1-2 semesters, funding is not guaranteed and my decision to recruit you as a graduate researcher will be based on your performance at the end of this period. If selected, you will receive an assistantship that covers your tuition and provides a competitive stipend.

If you believe that your interests and skills fit well into these criteria please feel free to contact me and we can discuss how to proceed with the rest of your application process:

• The majority of current and future projects conducted in DESIMAL^© will require interdisciplinary knowledge from areas such as civil and construction engineering, computer science, construction information technology, and data communication.

• Although I don't expect incoming graduate students to have all such expertise I would be more inclined towards those who have competent knowledge and/or show interest in gaining the required expertise by creating a self-study program and/or taking courses from other disciplines during the fist year of their graduate studies at UCF that will eventually help them acquire the necessary knowledge to contribute to the research projects they are involved in.

• Being familiar and having practical experience in areas such as object-oriented programming, construction automation and control systems, and robotic design will be considered a plus in evaluating applications.

• Your work progress is continuously monitored and I will be more than willing to assist you with your research issues as they arise. However, you should feel comfortable working on your own and at your paste while taking into account the overall project timeline and requirements set forth at the beginning.

• I would expect my graduate students to disseminate their research findings by actively participating in professional conferences and symposiums and publishing technical papers in prestigious journals. In order to achieve this goal, having good communication skills and the ability to handle professional conversations are considered as assets. Showing evidence of competitive GRE and TOEFL scores as well as high GPA will help evaluate your application in this regard.