Please read carefully

Undergraduate research in my group is open to students who demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and the ability to work independently. Research is not the same as coursework. It requires consistent self-driven effort, a willingness to explore unfamiliar material, and the ability to make progress without detailed step-by-step instructions. Before requesting a research position, please consider the following.

Motivation Must Come From You

Faculty can guide, mentor, and support you, but we cannot create your interest in a topic. Successful researchers have a genuine desire, curiosity, and motivation to understand and explore advanced concepts. If you are not excited about the topic on your own, research will feel slow and frustrating.

Perseverance Is Essential

Research rarely moves in a straight line. Experiments fail, code breaks, results do not make sense, and progress can feel slow or uncertain. Successful research requires pushing forward despite these setbacks. Perseverance, showing up, trying again, and being willing to troubleshoot difficult problems, is what separates meaningful research experiences from short-lived attempts. If you are easily discouraged by obstacles, research will become overwhelming. If you embrace challenges with patience and determination, you will grow rapidly as an independent thinker.

Research Requires Independent Effort

You will often be given open-ended tasks that require

  • reading and learning material on your own,
  • breaking down problems into smaller pieces,
  • troubleshooting without waiting for someone else to tell you the next step,
  • communicating progress regularly.

If you need continuous external prompting, you are not yet ready for research.

Time Commitment Matters

Meaningful research progress requires consistent weekly effort. Sporadic bursts of work separated by long periods of inactivity are not sufficient.

Deliverables Must Be Complete and Professional

Typical expectations include

  • clear, typed derivations or write-ups,
  • clean and well-structured code or simulations,
  • plots/results with explanations,
  • documentation of what you learned,
  • thoughtful questions that show engagement.

Start Small, Then Grow

Students who succeed usually begin with

  • strong performance in foundational courses (dynamics, controls, math, programming),
  • a short “trial project” lasting a few weeks, and
  • consistent communication and timely submission of work.

Continued involvement depends on demonstrated progress, not intentions.

Research Is Not a Requirement

If your goal is only to build your résumé or “get research experience,” but you are not truly interested in the topic, then a research position is unlikely to be a good fit. There are many other ways to strengthen your academic profile such as coursework, design teams, internships, and independent projects.

How to Apply

We welcome enthusiastic undergraduates who want to gain experience in research, engineering, and control systems.

What we look for

  • Strong coursework in control, dynamics, math, programming, etc. or relevant courses
  • Programming experience with MATLAB, Python, or C/C++ (simulation/testing experience welcome)
  • Interest in hands-on hardware (UAVs, multicopters, testbeds) and simulation development
  • A willingness to learn and collaborate on research teams

Opportunities

  • Independent study / research credit
  • Paid research positions when funding is available
  • Short-term project collaborations and senior design involvement

How to apply

  • Send an email to Dr. Ankit Goel at ankgoel@umbc.edu with a short note about your interests, GPA/transcript, and résumé
  • If possible, include a short description of relevant projects (class projects, independent work, or internships)

We evaluate candidates on a rolling basis and will respond to inquiries with next steps if there is a good match.

We look forward to hearing from motivated students who are excited about control, learning, and autonomy!