Contact Information

Interested in Joining the Wiebe Research Group?

Research is all about developing new ideas, and diverse perspectives enable us to perceive more possibilities and to see them more fully. My personal and professional development have been profoundly changed for the better by members of diverse communities who have had the patience to teach me new ways to see the world, even when my own background and privilege have sometimes made me slow to learn. In the same way, I want my research group to be a place where we all continue to grow. Therefore, in keeping with McMaster’s Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, I seek qualified candidates who will enhance the diversity of ideas and perspectives in our group. I especially welcome applications from First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, members of racialized communities (“visible minorities”), persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

I am always looking for exceptional students to contribute to the work of this research group. Unfortunately, because I receive hundreds of emails every year from interested students around the world, I generally cannot respond to individual emails.

Most graduate students in Civil Engineering at McMaster University begin their studies in September. To accommodate this start date, I normally review applications in the first months of each calendar year. In addition to reviewing applications that are submitted directly to the university (https://gs.mcmaster.ca/how-to-apply/), an excellent email introduction sometimes leads me to encourage a student to apply and can help me to look for specific applications in the application pool.

All students who are offered admission also receive funding for their studies that is consistent with departmental norms and policies.

If you are interested in PhD opportunities, I typically have no more than 2 positions available each year. If you would like to be considered, please apply directly to the university and/or send me an email following the format outlined below.

If you are interested in MASc opportunities, I typically have no more than 2 positions available each year. Current funding expectations mean that these positions are normally prioritized for Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or to students who have a guaranteed major scholarship. If you would like to be considered, please apply directly to the university and/or send me an email following the format outlined below.

If you are looking for a supervisor for an MEng project, I am sorry that I am not able to help you as I do not supervise MEng projects.

If you are looking for an undergraduate research internship: I typically have no more than 2 positions available for in-course McMaster undergraduate students. For students from other universities, I normally only take interns through the Mitacs Globalink program (https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/globalink).

If you are looking for a post-doctoral opportunity: I occasionally have 1 position available for exceptional candidates who have gained experience through their PhD in a subject area that directly aligns with my ongoing research. If you would like to be considered, please send me an email following the format outlined below.

Note: I understand that many prospective graduate students send hundreds of emails to prospective supervisors. I have suggested this format based on what I find useful in these emails, and I think you might find this helpful in emailing any prospective supervisor.

Email Subject: [“PhD Student”, “MASc Student”, “Undergrad Student”, or “Postdoc”] starting [YEAR]: [something unique about me]

I have an inbox filter that will send emails with this subject line to a folder for further consideration when I have positions available. Other subject headings may lead to the email not being noticed.

In the [something unique about me] part, please highlight one thing about your application that you think is most likely to make you stand out from everyone else. Remember that I get hundreds of these emails every year, so it's important to make it clear immediately why your email is worth taking the time to review.

Here are some examples of excellent subject lines: “PhD Student starting 2022: Ranked #2/112 at [University]”; “MASc Student starting 2022: President of [University] Women in Science and Engineering Chapter”; “ Undergrad Student starting 2022: Co-Founder of [High School] Peer Tutoring Initiative.”

Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself

In the first paragraph, write a thorough but concise summary of your background, highlighting aspects that make you unique. This should include:

• educational history, including where you received your degree(s) and your average in each (please provide these scores in the format that your university uses rather than attempting to convert them to a Canadian GPA)

• significant other experiences (e.g., work, extra-curricular activities, barriers overcome)

• indicate that you meet McMaster’s English requirements

• relevant external scholarships that you have (note that being able to self-fund your studies is not relevant, as all supervised students receive funding)

• any other personal characteristics or experiences that you want me to know about

• either “I am a Canadian citizen or permanent resident” or “I am not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.” (I do not need to know your citizenship, but current funding requirements are influenced by this immigration status.)

Paragraph 2: Explain your interest

In one short paragraph, explain why you are interested in joining this research group. Ideally, this paragraph begins with the sentence: “I am interested in joining your group as a(n) PhD/MASc student because ….” This paragraph is much more convincing if you go beyond copy-and-pasting a few phrases from my website and/or papers by demonstrating that you have read and thought about some of my group’s recent work. Very few students do this because it would be impossible to do for hundreds of different professors, so it really stands out if you do!

Additional paragraphs: Attachments and other information

Please mention the attachments that you have enclosed. Also, if there is anything else that you want me to know but does not fit in the two paragraphs mentioned above, this is the place to put it.

Attachments:

Please attach the following:

• CV or resume

• Transcript (unofficial is fine)

• Optional: If you want to really make your email stand out, please attach an independent one-page reflection on a paper that my research group has published in the last 3 years. The first third of this page should identify and summarize the paper, the next third should discuss technical questions or critique you have about the paper, and the final third should describe potential follow-up research that you would be interested to do.