About the Project

Dynamic Systems and Intelligent Machines (DSIM) Lab at the San Diego State University has PhD positions in the area of control of robotic systems. The project aims to develop control-theoretical approaches and implement them on real robotic systems in complex environments. Highly motivated applicants with experience in control and robotics and strong background in mathematics are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have B.Sc. or M.Sc. degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related fields.

For qualified PhD candidates, the stipend and tuition will be provided. Continuation of financial support is contingent upon satisfactory academic/research performance and availability of funds.

If interested, please contact Dr. Nili (zniliahmadabadi@sdsu.edu). Applicants should also submit CV, publications/examples of academic writing (report, thesis), transcripts, GRE (if available), and TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable). Cover letters should address experience in control and robotics. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The PhD degree is offered jointly with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) or University of California, Irvine (UCI). For more information about the DSIM lab, PhD program, and admission requirements, please visit:

http://dsimlab.com/

https://www.engineering.sdsu.edu/admissions/joint-doctoral

References

1- McNamee, Patrick, Miroslav Krstić, and Zahra Nili Ahmadabadi. "Stability of extremum seeking for maps that are strictly but not strongly convex." Automatica 182 (2025): 112536.
2- James-Kavanaugh, Dylan, et al. "Servos for Local Map Exploration Onboard Nonholonomic Vehicles for Extremum Seeking." arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.16365 (2025).