University Description
The University of Oklahoma at Norman (OU) is a Carnegie-R1 comprehensive public research university
known for excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement. US News & World Report
ranks OU in the top 50 (No. 41) in the "Top Public Schools – National Universities" category. Norman is a
culturally rich and vibrant town located in the Oklahoma City metro area.
The School of Computer Science at the University of Oklahoma is a dynamic academic unit housed
within the College of Engineering. The Computer Science Faculty are known for their research
accomplishments, extensive scholarly publications, and externally funded research expenditures. The
School of Computer Science provides strong comprehensive graduate programs, including a Ph.D.
degree program in Computer Science. The OU Computer Science Ph.D. graduates are highly sought after
in both the private and public sectors.
Position Description
Dr. Chongle Pan invites applications for a Ph.D. student position in the OU School of Computer Science
starting in the 2019 Spring Semester. Dr. Pan will move to OU in August 2018 and become an Associate
Professor with joint appointments between the School of Computer Science and the Department of
Microbiology and Plant Biology. The prospective student will be mentored by Dr. Pan to conduct cutting-
edge research in computational biology and bioinformatics. Specific research areas of interest include
high-performance computing, knowledge graph representation and reasoning, machine learning, and
graph theory. The domain applications include data analytics for metagenomics, metatranscriptomics,
metaproteomics and metabolomics. The computational biology research will be focused on the
characterization of complex environmental microbial communities and human microbiota using these
meta-omics analyses. Financial aid will be provided through Research Assistantship or Teaching
Assistantship to cover tuition and provide a monthly stipend of $2000.
• A B.S. degree in computer science, bioinformatics, or a related discipline is required. A Master
degree in these disciplines is preferred.
• Qualified candidates should have strong programming experience using C++, Python, and R for
development of computer algorithms and large-scale data analytics.
• Prior research and development experience in computer science or bioinformatics is required.
Proven publication track record is preferred.
• Satisfactory GPA, TOFLE score, and GRE score are required.
• Fluent communication skill in English is required.
• Basic knowledge and research interest in biology is required.
• Application deadline: October 16, 2018
• Online application at www.ou.edu/coe/cs/apply
• More information on the School of Computer Science can be found at
www.ou.edu/coe/cs/academics/graduate
• Further questions about the OU admission process should be directed to Virginie Perez Woods
(virginieperezwoods@ou.edu).
• Further questions about the Ph.D. research should be directed to Dr. Chongle Pan at
(panc@ornl.gov). More information on Dr. Pan’s lab may be found at
www.omicsbio.org/.