Before You Email
I welcome email from curious people with similar research interests, especially if you are a member of an under-represented group in computer science. However, professors tend to get a high volume of email, and it's useful to keep a few things in mind to increase your chances of a response:
If you're writing because you want to do research with me/my lab, please complete the POEM Lab interest form instead of emailing. I get an email notification for each form submission. If you haven't heard back from me a week after submitting the form, you may email me to follow up.
Please provide context for how I know you or, if I don't know you, for how you know me or found my contact information. If you are an NC State student or someone who has been accepted to the Ph.D. program, please include that information.
Be clear about the specific thing you are requesting. If you would like a meeting, specify how much time you need and provide your availability up front. Specify what the goals of such a meeting would be. If you would like feedback on a piece of writing or an idea: sorry, but that service is only available to my research students, established mentees, and close friends.
If you want to discuss research, please don't write me a novel within your email body text. Once your email gets beyond two paragraphs, shift to scheduling a short meeting (e.g. on Skype).
If you are inviting me to join a program committee for a conference, please be sure to specify the date ranges during which the most activity will be needed.
If you are inviting me to speak somewhere, please clarify whether travel and lodging costs will be included and what speaker fee will be provided.
Finally, please expect delays in my reply, especially if you write to me about something I care a lot about! Typically, I want to be sure I spend adequate time formulating a cogent response to such mail, and the next available window of time may be some distance in the future.
My email address is: context.adventure AT (google's email service)