Updated: September 23, 2025

I’m recruiting for fully funded Ph.D. roles. I also welcome strong MS/Undergrad researchers and self-funded visiting students/scholars.

Position snapshot

  • University: NJIT (R1), Newark, NJ
  • Start: ASAP; Spring and Fall admission cycles

What we work on (focus areas)

1. Neurosymbolic AI — Integrating symbolic structure with deep learning for transparent and interpretable AI systems

2. Neural Combinatorial Optimization — Learning-based solvers for combinatorial and constrained optimization problems

3. Probabilistic Inference — Scalable neural methods for reasoning under uncertainty in graphical models and probabilistic circuits

4. Applications — Computer vision, video understanding, activity recognition, and multimodal reasoning

Specific directions:

  • Integrating formal world models with neural networks
  • Efficient neural algorithms for NP-hard problems
  • Interpretable models enabling polynomial-time reasoning

What you’ll do

  • Prototype novel algorithms and run ablations at scale
  • Build reliable research code and reproducible pipelines
  • Design and analyze experiments; interpret results and iterate
  • Apply methods to vision/video and multimodal tasks

What you bring

  • Strong fundamentals in algorithms, probability, and ML/AI
  • Proficiency in Python; experience with modern DL frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, Jax)
  • Familiarity with data structures, optimization, and graph-based models
  • Sound engineering practices: Git, testing, reproducibility
  • Plus (nice-to-have): graphical models, neurosymbolic methods, combinatorial optimization, or computer vision

Outcomes

Depth in probabilistic reasoning, deep learning, optimization, and interpretable modeling; experience with tractable inference and neurosymbolic integration; and applications to video/activity understanding and language reasoning.

Lab resources

  • Fully funded Ph.D. positions (RA/TA support)
  • Access to high-performance computing resources and GPU clusters
  • Strong mentorship; opportunities for top-tier publications
  • Industry collaborations and internships

Why NJIT

  • Ranked #72 in the U.S. for AI & Machine Learning (CSRankings)
  • Ranked #80 Graduate School for Computer Science (U.S. News & World Report)
  • Ranked #84 among National Universities and #42 among Top Public Universities (U.S. News & World Report)
  • Located in Newark, NJ, part of the NYC metropolitan area
  • ~30 minutes from Manhattan; strong industry connections

Apply

Email: shivvrat.arya@njit.edu

Include: CV (with links), GitHub and/or code samples, and a short note on your background and interests. Unofficial transcripts are welcome. Please write a few sentences introducing yourself and why you’re a good fit.

For Ph.D. positions, please also apply through the official NJIT portal.

For general questions about MS/PhD admissions in NJIT Computer Science, please consult the official departmental pages. Regarding such queries, please do not email me.