Last update: 2025-06-11

Advising

The type of research our group will do is reflected in public-facing content, but fit or compatibility with a professor is harder to assess beforehand. This page gives you an initial sense of what working with me, Vedant Das Swain, would be like. Please read about the lab’s research before proceeding.

I have written these to cover common questions and preserve our our one-on-one communications for learning more about you.

What qualities are you looking for in your students?

I have mentored students with diverse backgrounds, but those I enjoy collaborating with most share a few common, intangible qualities. I have no way to fully verify these before working with you. However, oftentimes some hints of these qualities are evident in your statements, in your LoRs, your communication, and (if you reach the point) your interview:

• The first and trickiest is motivation or passion towards research. Computing, AI, and human wellbeing are hot topics, making passion common but insufficient. What stands out is the ability to think beyond surface trends and tackle rubber-meets-the-road challenges. You might pursue the wrong problem or solution, but independently engaging with problems creatively is what’s impressive. My job is helping you identify the right problems and approaches.

• The second quality is purpose - why do you want a PhD and what doors does it unlock? If it’s only to make “real impact” or stack degrees, other paths are faster and more direct. Your reason can be personal - I wanted a PhD because my MS opportunities didn’t satisfy me. For a matter of fact, one of my advisors wanted a PhD because his brother had one. Having clear purpose gives you drive when uncertainties inevitably emerge.

• The third quality is initiative. A PhD isn’t didactic like coursework - it requires self-directed learning. Think of it as open-world learning where I’m one resource among many. I guide how to learn and critique, but you must choose what to pursue and why. Students who were merely “high scorers” often struggle with the ambiguity of research without clear instructions. By contrast, successful ones filter key problems despite the large noisy disorganized hypotheses space. This applies to both prusuing research problems and building your overall reputation.

What skills would your students need?

My research uses computing to improve everyday wellbeing through interdisciplinary methods - from data science and machine learning to interviews and policy analysis. I welcome two types of students. One kind is a student from a traditional computing/systems/engineering background who is strong in developing applications, analyzing data, and/or building computational models. The other is a student from an unorthodox computing background who excels in designing applications, evaluating technology, and/or understanding how people are affected by and affect technology.

All students must be able to create digital prototypes - whether as final contributions or as research tools. This requires some proficiency in coding (in any language or framework). All students must also demonstrate critical thinking on the problem domain and refrain from treating human challenges as toy problems by realistically engaging with the people involved.

Generally, most of my research is empirical evidence but methods agnostic, i.e., I select approaches to fit the research problem and contribution. The only constant is rigorous, systematic execution. You need to demonstrate strong foundation in at least one area and willingness to appreciate the other. A PhD with me will ideally allow cross-pollination between technical and human-centered approaches to complement the skills you start with.

How do students select research topics?

Research provides freedom but is moderated by funding sources. With research grants, I aim to provide enough room to balance grant requirements with your interests, ideally finding a direct overlap. With discretionary funding, we have more latitude but topics should connect to existing work or themes in your own research and in the lab’s larger work. The line of funding for you depends on availability, your background, and your interests. These might evolve throughout your PhD and you might even inform funding sources by participating in grant writing or winning independent fellowships.

In either case, students should stay up to date with the latest developments and I keep the guard rails to resist every shiny new trend. Ultimately, a PhD is about your full body of work. You might write one superhit paper, but if it does not solve a piece of your larger puzzle (your thesis), your paper will outlast your own reputation. I want to train students who generate coherent research programs, not just individual ideas.

How do you mentor students?

Students’ research projects are the single most energizing thing in faculty life. I aim to be actively contributing to each project. I will only be “hands-on” when needed and lean to more hands off as you become experienced. Bottom line, I expect to have one-on-one meetings with each student every week. Expect weekly one-on-one meetings for detailed discussions, plus project meetings with collaborators and eventual group meetings for cross-disciplinary conversations. I will also be available for unscheduled conversations. Just check if my door is open or I am available online because the best ideas can pop up at any time. You need to manage your project and decide which items are best saved for which conversation.

My role is demystifying assumptions, critiquing rigor, removing blockers, and expanding knowledge. Expect constant references and resources from me. Your job is synthesizing what’s meaningful and counter-critiquing to spark stronger ideas. I collaborate at every stage, but you execute and learn by doing. Eventually, you will develop your own style. The last thing I is clones of me. Each of you should have unique theses and branch out in your own directions.

Initially, I expect students to lead at least one submission every year. I will help you sculpt the project based on the practical constraints of academic submission deadlines. As your skills grow, I will encourage you to have other projects in the backburner or sideburners too. But we cannot compromise quality for quantity. Depending on the nature of your research, quality can sometimes take longer to achieve and we will work around these challenges to ensure that you have a solid profile by the time you defend.

What type of culture do you foster?

Each student has a different way to thrive and my job is find a way to find synergy in that. Some succeed when they are collocated with others, some need distraction free focus. It varies. I strongly encourage certain activities to be in-person (e.g., meetings) and personally try to minimize communication in off-hours/weekends. Having said that you will steer your work and decide what is required based on your needs.

Many of my closest friends are the ones I made during my PhD. Understandably, not all of your colleagues will be friends or need to be. But I hope to cultivate constructive crticism while maintaining civility. Helping your lab mates will be the first among many service responsibilities you will fulfill. Outside of lab, we will celebrate surviving each semester together with a meal, activity, or both! And as far as everyday practices go, small things like getting lunch or coffee together make a huge difference to your social ties, creativity, and critical thinking. It is not a coincidence that I named our group COPHEE. I find it counterproductive to codify all our norms, so I am optimistic that each student will add their own personality to collectively creating our norms.

If you would like to think about advising relationships from others’ point of view, I highly recommend reading: Managing your advisor. For learning more about me as a mentor, I encourage you to reach out to people who have worked with me to get a sense of what my work style feels like in practice.