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10 months ago It's been roughly 90 days since opening this issue. We apologize if we haven’t gotten back to you—research openings are somewhat sporadic, so sometimes we don’t have specific opportunities to offer. But more will certainly come in the future! If you're still interested in doing reasearch with us, please respond with "Still interested for <semester/summer>". Additionally, please update the issue by editing it and supplying us with more information, an updated resumé, etc. If you're no longer interested, do not respond to this thread and we will automatically close this issue.
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We are thrilled that you're interested in research in our research group! Please fill out this issue template. When you submit it, we will get a notification in our group chat. Please include any relevant details you can think of! Here are examples of filled out templates for reference.
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Personal Details
Name: Ethan Hersch
Major: Computer Science and Mathematics
Year in Cornell & Expected graduation date: Second year expected graduation spring 2026.
Relevant classes: CS 2110, CS 2800, CS 3110, Math 2210, Math 2220. Ongoing: CS 3410, Math 4710, Math 3110.
Interested in continuing research during the summer? Yes.
Expertise (languages/frameworks/etc.): Java, Python, OCaml, C, JavaScript (React and Node), MongoDB, Git, Unix.
Research
When do you want to do research? (Researchers can get involved during the semester as an "extracurricular", equivalent to a 3-4 credit class, or get more involved over the summer as a full-time job.)
I would like to begin doing research during the fall semester. I would also want to continue research during the spring, and even continue it over the summer as a full-time job if this opportunity permits.
What is exciting to you about research? (How did you get interested in it? What are you hoping to get out it?)
In every computer science or math course I have taken, I have been amazed by the continuous discovery done in these fields. There is often rapid advancement in programming languages or algorithms. I enjoy learning about the technical applications of computer science, but I am more fascinated by how these languages and advancements were discovered. I would like to be able to contribute to these new discoveries by getting involved in research. Since I also study math, I want to take a more theoretical approach to computer science, and I can do this by engaging with research. I know I still have many years left of my academic journey, but I want to consider going to graduate school. Getting involved in research would be a great way for me to learn more about pursuing academia. I also want to be able to use my computer science knowledge in a more academic setting by doing research, which I expect is a different experience from using my skills with a company or with a project team.
What kind of research do you want to do? (It's OK to say, "I don't know; I'm looking to explore!")
I am open to exploring, but I think I am most interested in the field of programming languages.
Background
Note: While these questions are optional for first & second year students, we highly encourage everyone to respond to them. Third & fourth year students are required to respond to all questions.
Was there a paper that particularly excited you? (This doesn't have to be a paper from our group.)
At an ACSU research night, I spoke to a Ph.D. student named Noam Zilberstein working with Alexandra Silva on logic and semantics. I read their paper on outcome logic, and this topic's intersection of math and computer science made me realize my interest in programming languages and/or correctness. This is the paper that made me decide I wanted to also study math and take courses in probability and logic.
Which of the current research projects would you be interested in working on and why?
I am interested in working on Braid because I would have the opportunity to learn more about developing programming languages, which is one of my main interests. Developing languages that work on systems with multiple cores fascinated me ever since I learned about multi-threading in CS 2110. However, heterogeneous programming seems even more interesting, as a language like Braid works on systems with multiple types of processors.
Filament is also a project I would be interested in working on because I would like to learn more about low-level languages. I have some experience in C, and working in lower-level languages that are closer to the computer's architecture is extremely captivating to me. I assume Filament focuses more on lower languages than C, such as assembly or machine language, but C has sparked my interest in this area. By working with Filament, I could learn more about hardware design languages and see how they reason about low-level languages.
Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
Although I am interested in programming languages, I have a passion for all forms of computer science, so I would be open to working on any of the Capra projects that could use my skill set.
I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with a research group, as I can contribute to new discoveries and also be able to collaborate with accomplished computer scientists. I thrive the most while working with teams, and I have learned the most CS skills from working with others in group projects or on my project team. I grew up playing football and baseball, so working as a team has taught me some of the most valuable lessons in my life. By working with Capra, I can continue advancing by working with a team.
Attach a CV/Resumé Ethan Hersch Resume.pdf