I am excited to hear from highly motivated Ph.D. applicants interested in joining my lab and pursuing interdisciplinary research at the intersection of speech, language, audio, and AI. I expect to have one to two fully funded Ph.D. openings beginning in Fall 2027. Admitted Ph.D. students receive full tuition and fee support, a monthly stipend, and health insurance coverage.

Potential Research Directions

• AI and LLMs for speech, language, and communication assessment, including using LLMs and speech-language models for automated analysis and assessment of speech and language, with applications in child development, phonological assessment, and technologies supporting speech-language pathology (SLP) research and practice.

• General speech and audio AI, including speech foundation models, spoken language understanding, and long-form speech and audio understanding.

Qualifications

I welcome applicants from both computational backgrounds (e.g., computer science, machine learning, speech/audio processing, NLP, signal processing) and speech/language science backgrounds (e.g., applied linguistics, linguistics, phonetics/phonology, and speech, language, and hearing sciences).

Because research in my group is highly computational, prior programming experience is expected for all applicants. Applicants from speech/language science backgrounds who have demonstrated programming experience and are interested in computational research are especially encouraged to apply.

Minimum qualifications

• B.S. degree in a relevant field

• Strong background in one or more relevant areas, such as machine learning, deep learning, signal processing, speech processing, NLP, probability/statistics, phonetics/phonology, or speech and language science

• Solid programming skills to conduct computational research

• Strong written and oral communication skills in English

• Ability to work responsibly, independently, and collaboratively in a research environment

• Genuine curiosity about and strong interest in the research questions pursued by the group

Preferred qualifications

The following qualifications are NOT required but may strengthen an application:

• M.S. degree in a relevant field

• Prior research or working experience in speech, audio, language, or related areas

• Publications in leading speech and audio processing venues

Application Instructions/Interview Timeline

To help me manage the high volume of inquiries and ensure that prospective students are evaluated consistently, I use the following process.

1. Optional Informal Assessment: Completing the interest form is NOT required to submit a formal Ph.D. application. However, if you would like me to evaluate your potential fit with the group before the formal application stage, please complete this [Google Form]. 

I carefully review all submitted forms, so a separate email after completing the form is optional. Due to the volume of inquiries, I may not be able to respond to individual Ph.D. inquiry emails. Before submitting, I encourage you to read my latest review paper and/or several recent papers to familiarize yourself with my research. 

I will contact applicants who appear to be a strong fit and encourage them to submit a formal application. I do not conduct interviews during this informal assessment stage.

2. Official Application: Please mention my name as your potential advisor in your statement of purpose and submit your complete application package through the official webpage by the deadline of December 5, 2026. 

Our lab is housed within the College of Information Science, so your PhD degree will be in Information Science. The InfoSci Ph.D. program requires a minor. Depending on your research direction, I recommend considering Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Linguistics, or Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences to complement your research.

3. Formal interviews will begin in early February 2027, and admission offer will follow the interview process.

Each semester, I advise one or two capstone teams focused on speech and audio processing. Project topics are assigned at the start of the semester. If you are interested, please feel free to email me with your CV, transcript, and a brief technical background.

I occasionally have volunteer or for credit long-term research positions for undergraduate students. If you are interested in working on speech and audio projects, please email me your CV, transcript, availability term, and the number of hours you are able to commit weekly. 

I currently do not accept students who are not at the University of Arizona.

I do not currently have funding for postdoctoral researchers.

I do not have funding for paid research assistant positions. When I have funding for student research, I prioritize allocating them to my doctoral students.

I do not have the authority to decide the assignment of teaching assistant or grading positions.