Fully Funded Ph.D Opportunities in Cyber-physical Systems Spring/Fall 2027

POSITION DESCRIPTION
The SAFE lab at Washington State University Tri‑Cities invites applications for a fully funded Ph.D. Research Assistant (RA) position in the area of Safe Learning for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). I’m seeking 1-2 highly motivated Ph.D student to join my lab starting from Spring 2027 or Fall 2027. Prospective doctoral students will conduct research in robotics, machine learning and formal methods for CPS applications.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C/C++
• Foundational knowledge in at least one of the following areas: reinforcement learning, control systems, formal methods, or real-time systems

Preferred:

• Prior research experience in CPS, ML, or safety/security domains
• Experience with publishing or participating in academic projects

HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates should send the following materials in a single PDF file to Prof. Mengyu Liu at mengyu.liu@wsu.edu with the subject line: "[Ph.D. Application – Safe Learning in CPS]"
Application Materials:

• A brief statement of research interest (1–2 pages)
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Academic transcripts (unofficial is acceptable for initial review)

ABOUT the PI
Dr. Mengyu Liu is an assistant professor in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture computer science department at Washington State University. He received his B.S. from University of Toronto and his Ph.D from University of Notre Dame. Dr. Liu published over 20 papers in leading journals and conferences and is the recipient of several prestigious honors, including the NSF CPS Rising Star, ESWEEK SRC 1st place and DAC young fellow. For more details, please check https://mengyuliu0520.github.io/