Last update: 2025-07-14
Advising
You can read about the research our group will do, but this page aims to give you an impression of what working with me, Vedant Das Swain, would be like.
What qualities are you looking for in your students?
Students I enjoy collaborating with most share a few common, intangible qualities. These are hard to verify beforehand, but it does become evident in some application materials. First, computing, AI, and human wellbeing are hot topics, so “passion” is required but not enough. What stands out is your ability to think beyond surface trends and tackle rubber-meets-the-road challenges with creative approaches. Second, why do you want a PhD? You could make “real impact” through other paths that are faster and more direct. Your reason can be personal, even frivolous, but it generally reveals if you actually enjoy the process enough. For a matter of fact, I know an excellent researcher who wanted a PhD because his brother had one. Third, a PhD isn’t didactic like coursework - it requires self-directed learning. Your advisor is one resource among many that you need to leverage to organize yourself through the ambiquity.
What skills would your students need?
Generally, most of my research involves empirical evidence but is methods agnostic, i.e., I select approaches to fit the research problem and contribution. My research has used interdisciplinary methods from data science and machine learning to interviews and policy analysis. The only constant is rigorous, systematic execution. I welcome broadly two types of students. One kind is strong in developing applications, analyzing data, and/or building computational models. The other excels in designing applications, evaluating technology, and/or understanding how people. All students must have some proficiency in coding (in any language or framework) and be able to create digital prototypes, either as final contributions or as research tool. Over time you should expect 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 real-world factors, such as funding. With research grants, I aim to provide enough room to balance grant requirements with your interests. 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. 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. I aim to train students who can go beyond individual ideas to develop coherent research programs.
How do you mentor students?
Students’ research projects are the single most energizing thing in academia. I aim to actively contribute to projects. I will only be hands-on when needed and get hands off as you become experienced. 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. 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. Initially, I expect students to lead at least one submission every year. As your skills grow, and depending on your goals, I will encourage you to take on complete projects at a different cadence. We will work around several intellectual and practical 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. I encourage certain activities to be in-person (e.g., meetings) and try to minimize communication in off-hours/weekends unless there are pressing deadlines Many of my closest friends are the ones I made during my PhD. 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 each semester together with a meal, activity, or both! Even everyday, 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 our norms, so I am optimistic that each student will add their own personality to what our group will be.
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.