Prospective PhD and MSc Students

I’m looking for curious, motivated PhD and MSc students to join my research group in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Victoria in beautiful Victoria, BC, Canada. If you’re excited about AI and software, I’d love to hear from you.

What we work on

My group explores how artificial intelligence can make software more reliable, more secure, and easier to understand, and how to build AI tools that developers can actually trust. Some of the topics we’re working on include:

• AI for Software Engineering (AI4SE)
• Software quality assurance and testing
• Large language models and AI agents for software engineering tools
• Explainable AI for developers
• Faithful explanations (i.e., making sure what an AI tool says matches why it actually made its decision)
• Adaptive assistance
• Developer trust and reliance on AI

You don’t need experience in all of these. A strong interest in one area and a willingness to learn go a long way!

What to expect

I aim to build a supportive, collaborative group where students feel comfortable asking questions, sharing half-formed ideas, and growing as independent researchers. I value students from all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented in computing.

How to apply

Email me at ratnadiraw@uvic.ca with the subject line “Prospective PhD/MSc Student - [Your Name]”. Please attach your CV and include a few sentences about your research interests and why you’d like to join the group.