Joining LATTICE

If you are interested in joining LATTICE, and have contacted me via email or LinkedIn, I sincerely appreciate your interest, and thank you for taking the time to reach out. I do try to read every email and message; unfortunately, due to the large number of such emails and messages, I may not be able to reply to all in a timely and personalized manner.

I encourage you to read below, and depending on your current status (current UM undergrad, grad, or prospective UM student), to take the appropriate actions.

Prospective Students

Thank you for your interest in the air transportation research conducted within LATTICE. Please apply to the University of Michigan's Department of Aerospace Engineering graduate programs, for which the application process and additional details can be found here. Note the required materials (e.g., letters of recommendations, statements, etc.), and keep in mind the various program deadlines (see Admission Guidelines & Planning, navigate to the "Academic Calendar" section).

Please note in your statements/application that you are interested in working with Prof. Max Li.

After you have submitted the application, I would be happy to schedule a meeting (in person/virtual) to talk with you regarding your research interests and goals. This is especially important if you did NOT apply to UM Aero, but instead applied to an UM department where I have an affiliation (i.e., Industrial and Operations Engineering), as I may not be directly notified regarding your application.

Please send me an email (maxzli@umich.edu) to schedule a meeting. I would appreciate it if you denote that you have submitted an application to the UM Aero (or UM IOE) graduate program in the subject line, and also include the following documents:

  • A résumé or CV

  • An unofficial transcript (undergrad and grad, if applicable)

  • Either (i) sample publications/conference posters, and/or (ii) a deliverable that you can share (e.g., class project write-up, term paper, etc.) that you thoroughly enjoyed working on

Current University of Michigan Students

UM Graduate Students

Thank you for your interest in the air transportation research conducted within LATTICE. Please take a look through the Research and Publications of LATTICE, then send me an email (maxzli@umich.edu) describing your past research experiences (if any), your research interests and goals, as well as mentorship/teaching experiences (if any).

I would appreciate it if you denote that you are a current UM grad in the subject line, and also include the following documents, if possible:

  • A résumé or CV

  • An unofficial transcript (undergrad and grad)

  • Either (i) sample publications/conference posters, and/or (ii) a deliverable that you can share (e.g., class project write-up, term paper, etc.) that you thoroughly enjoyed working on


UM Undergraduate Students

I welcome the opportunity to work with undergraduate students on a well-scoped research topic of mutual interest, as well as exploring air transportation-related research and coursework more deeply. Please take a look through the Research and Publications of LATTICE, then send me an email (maxzli@umich.edu) briefly describing your research interests and goals.

I would appreciate it if you denote that you are a current UM undergrad in the subject line, and also include the following documents, if possible:

  • A résumé or CV

  • An unofficial transcript

  • A deliverable that you can share (e.g., class project write-up, term paper, etc.) that you thoroughly enjoyed working on

UM also offers a number of fantastic undergraduate research opportunities, such as the Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering Program (SURE), the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP), and the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). Please see this UM Aero website for a great overview of these programs (navigate to "Undergraduate Opportunities").