USC

Join LASER

We appreciate your interest in the lab! If your research interests align with the group please get in touch (current emphasis on RL/MPC, perception-aware planning, mechanical design/hardware). We are currently recruiting a very limited number of Ph.D. students (fall 2027), and research-based M.S. students on a rolling basis. We are an interdisciplinary team, and motivated students with backgrounds in robotics, aerospace/mechanical engineering, computer science, controls, and related fields are encouraged to apply.

Prospective Ph.D. Students

We are always excited to have motivated researchers join our group:

  1. Please indicate your interest on your application materials. Submit an official application to USC Viterbi’s Ph.D. program (ASTE/AME/ECE) by Dec-15 for fall admissions.
  2. Make sure you select Prof. Albee as a faculty member of interest.
  3. If you would like to email Prof. Albee directly, please send your CV and unofficial transcript with a brief description of your specific interest in the lab with subject line [LASER-APPLY].
    • Interviews begin in Dec/Jan, and USC fellowship recommendations are made by ~Feb, followed by RA offers in ~Mar.
    • Spring admissions are rare, but possible. Contact Prof. Albee if you have a special circumstance.
    • For current USC Ph.D. students @ USC: please send the above materials using subject line [LASER-APPLY].

M.S./Undergrad Students @ USC

We typically ask our M.S./undergrad students to dedicate a minimum of 10 hours/week on LASER research so that we can work on a substantial project together. Typical pathways are research-for-credit, research volunteers, and USC’s CURVE fellowship program (USC undergrad only).

If you would like to do a research rotation with the group, please send the following to Prof. Albee, with subject line [LASER-APPLY]:

(Due to the volume of mail we unfortunately might not be able to respond to all application-related emails individually.)