We encourage and welcome the involvement of UChicago undergraduate and Masters students in the HRI lab. UChicago undergrad and Masters students typically work collaboratively with other PhD students, undergraduates, and high school students on ongoing research projects that explore novel human-robot interactions. Work on human-robot interaction projects can include: reading academic papers to understand prior work and inform project work, experiment design, robot and system programming (typically done using Python), running a human subjects study, analyzing data, and paper writing. Students usually begin by joining an ongoing project and, if they choose, can later lead their own projects once they've gained more experience.
If you are a current UChicago undergraduate or Masters student interested in working in the HRI lab, there are two primary ways of getting involved:
Summer Research Internship
- Description: Each summer, we recruit several UChicago undergraduates interested in conducting human-robot interaction research as summer research interns. Students spend a majority of their time working collaboratively with their project team and also engage in several other regular meetings: a weekly lab-wide progress update meeting, a weekly project meeting with PI Sarah Sebo, and a weekly lab-wide reading group.
- Timing & Location: Summer internships are full-time (37.5 hours/week) and typically run for 10 weeks from mid-June through the end of August. HRI lab students work in-person in John Crerar Library.
- How to Apply: To apply for this summer internship position, submit your application via Handshake. The application deadline for summer 2025 is February 23, 2025. If you have any questions about the summer internship, please feel free to email me (sarahsebo@uchicago.edu).
Research Assistant Position during the School Year
- Description: During the school year, we recruit several UChicago undergraduates and Masters students interested in gaining experience and contributing to ongoing human-robot interaction research projects. Students typically join an ongoing research project team led by a current PhD student, postdoc, or undergraduate in the lab. Beyond contributing to a specific research project, students also participate in our weekly HRI lab meeting.
- Time Commitment: We expect students working in the lab during the school year to devote 8-10 hours/week on their research project.
- How to Apply: To apply for a research assistant position in the HRI lab, please fill out this application form. Upon review of the submitted applications, a member of the lab (either myself or one of the PhD students or postdocs) will reach out with a request to interview applicants whose skills and interests align with current projects seeking new members.
If you have any questions about getting involved with the HRI lab or would be interested in a list of current projects in the lab, please email me (sarahsebo@uchicago.edu).