PhD Student Recruitment
I am a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oregon. We are recruiting 1-2 Ph.D. students for Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 admission.
About Me
I received my Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of California, Riverside (UCR). I have long-term collaborative research with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). I am the recipient of the 2026 NSF CAREER award.
Research Interests:
- High Performance Computing/Distributed Computing
- Large Language Model System Optimizations
- GPU Computing and Optimizations
- Extreme Scale Data Management
My group have published more than 50 papers in leading conferences and journals in high-performance computing, including SC, ICS, PPoPP, IPDPS, HPDC, TPDS, TC, and JPDC.
About the University and CS Program
The University of Oregon, founded in 1876, is a top-tier public research university (R1) in the United States. It is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization consisting of 71 leading research universities in the U.S. and Canada, focusing on research excellence and graduate education. The university has produced 3 Nobel Prize winners, 13 Pulitzer Prize winners, 19 Rhodes Scholars, and 5 Marshall Scholars
The Computer Science program at the University of Oregon ranks #71 nationally (US News 2026). In distributed systems and high-performance computing (HPC)-Dr. Chen's research area-the program ranks #19 in the US and #30 in the world (based on CSRankings 2016-2026 cumulative top-tier publication records).
What the Advisor Provides
All admitted PhD students will receive 5 years of full financial support (RA/TA), including:
- Living stipend
- Full tuition coverage
- Health insurance
Students will also receive research equipment, including:
- A latest-generation Mac laptop
- External monitors
- Access to lab GPU computing nodes equipped with NVIDIA H100 GPUs
Dr. Chen maintains long-term collaborations with multiple U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, giving students access to world-leading exascale supercomputers for research. Outstanding students may also have opportunities to intern at national laboratories during the summer.
Because Dr. Chen's research spans multiple areas of computer science, graduates from the group can pursue careers at major technology companies and national laboratories.
Expectations for PhD Students
Basic Requirements
Applicants should:
- Have strong self-learning ability and logical thinking skills
- Be persistent and motivated
- Hold a Bachelor's degree in CS, EE, CE, or a related field
- Meet English proficiency requirements: TOEFL >= 88 or IELTS >= 7 (Waived for applicants who obtained a degree in an English-speaking country)
Preferred Qualifications (Not Required but Highly Beneficial)
These will significantly strengthen an application:
- Prior research experience (projects, publications, research reports)
- Experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Computer systems
- Parallel computing (OpenMP, CUDA, MPI, etc.)
- Machine learning (ML algorithms, DNN training, distributed learning, large language models)
- Data science
- A Master's degree
- GRE scores: Verbal >= 153, Quantitative >= 154, and Analytical >= 3.0
How to Apply?
Please send the following materials to my email.
Email subject line:
PhD Hire + Your Name
Required materials:
- CV / Resume
- Academic transcripts (Undergraduate + Graduate, if applicable)
- English test scores
- GRE scores (if you have them)
- Any supporting materials (awards, publications, etc.)
Location and Regional Advantages
The University of Oregon is located in the tax-free state of Oregon, home to major technology and global companies such as Intel, Nike, and Columbia Sportswear.
The campus is located in the scenic city of Eugene, the second-largest city in Oregon, with a population of nearly 200,000 residents.
- Portland: 1.5-hour drive (shopping, food, entertainment)
- Florence Coast: scenic Pacific coastline accessible via Highway 101
- Cascade Mountains: including Hoodoo Ski Area for winter sports
- McKenzie River Valley: ideal for fishing and rafting
Additionally, Eugene is conveniently located between two major U.S. tech hubs:
- Seattle: 1 hour flight
- San Francisco: 1.5 hour flight
This provides excellent opportunities for academic collaboration, internships, industry engagement, travel, and cultural experiences.
Last update: March 08, 2026
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