Answers to questions that are (or should be) asked often.
Can I do a Master's Project (CIS 693) with you?
Yes, though you should be aware of both the School of CIS and Graduate School requirements for Master's projects and my own additional requirements:
- The topic must be of mutual interest to both you and myself.
- You must be willing and able to meet weekly to provide status.
- You must publicly disseminate the results of your project in an appropriate external-to-GVSU venue. Possibilities include (but are not limited to):
- Presentations at Professional Conferences or User Groups,
- Startup Funding Requests from Venture Capitalists or Investors,
- Presentation and/or deliverable to employer, or
- Deliverable to non-profit or governmental organization.
Can I do a Master's Thesis (CIS 690 and 695) with you?
Yes, though you should be aware of both the School of CIS and Graduate School requirements for Master's Theses and my own additional requirements:
- The topic must be of mutual interest to both you and myself.
- You must be willing and able to meet weekly to provide status.
- The topic must result in a novel contribution.
- The result must be documented as an academic paper and submitted to an academic conference.
Can you write me a letter of recommendation or be a reference?
Yes, though I can only write or speak about the interactions I have had with you and the your work that I have seen. If you ask me please be sure to consider if I will be able to provide you with the kind of reference or recommendation you would hope to receive.
In order to be allowed to provide a reference or recommendation you must also provide me with a filled out FERPA Release for Reference Request form.
Additionally, it is helpful if you let me know a bit about the reason for the reference or recommendation and any items you would like to make sure I remember to mention in the reference or recommendation.
Do you have any paid student positions (i.e., Research Assistant or Teaching Assistant)?
Typically not. However, when funding is available students who have successfully worked on previous research projects with me are more likely to be selected.
For funding opportunities that are available, including internal and external fellowships and grants, see my Research Student page.
Can I do a Master's Project or Thesis with you over the summer?
No, there are significant logistical issues with summer project or thesis schedules. Many of the school's professors, including myself, have irregular or non-existent schedules during the summer.
This makes it prohibitively difficult to schedule weekly status meetings or even a final project presentation or thesis defense with sufficient faculty involvement.
Why does your website look so awful?
Neither my interests nor my skill set lend themselves to graphic design.
What is the best way to contact you?
E-mail is, by far, the best way to contact me. Phone and mail communication are specifically discouraged.
The clearer and more succinct your message, the greater the likelihood of a prompt and useful reply. My e-mail address is devrieby [at] gvsu [dot] edu.