At SODALab, we are looking for curious, mathematically minded, and systems-oriented thinkers. We value interdisciplinary research and appreciate students who are comfortable operating at the intersection of multiple fields. We do not expect every student to be an expert in every area; instead, we look for a “T-shaped” profile: a deep foundation in one of our core pillars, combined with genuine curiosity to explore the others.
-
The Systems Thinker: You are motivated by real-world constraints — from the economics of digital platforms to the physics of emerging AI systems such as LLM inference. You enjoy modeling the structural rules that govern how systems behave.
-
The Machine Learner: You have a strong grasp of probability, statistics, and optimization. You are interested in how data can be used to inform, calibrate, or even reshape algorithm design in decision making, especially in sequential decision problems.
-
The Algorithm Theorist: You love $O(\log n)$ analysis, proving hard bounds, and always pushing for a better algorithm. You see uncertainty not as noise, but as intriguing structure to be understood and exploited.
If you are already at UofA and would like to learn more, we encourage you to join the SODALab Seminar, which meets (almost) weekly and is open to anyone interested. This is the best way to get a sense of the problems we work on and the culture of the group.
Opportunities
Prospective Students: We are always looking for motivated students at all levels (undergraduate, MSc, and PhD). If interested, please read Dr. Tan’s Letter to Prospective Students for guidelines on how best to reach out.
Prospective Postdocs: If you are interested in joining the lab as a postdoc, please send your CV to Dr. Tan. We will follow up if there is a strong match in research interests and background, subject to funding availability.
Prospective Visitors: We welcome visitors from computer science, mathematics, operations research, and related fields. If your research aligns with ours and you are interested in visiting, feel free to get in touch.
Contact Us
SODALab@UofA Dr. Xiaoqi Tan SODALab @UofA
University Commons 3-101,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2N8
Lab email list: click here to subscribe
Web: https://sodalab.caDr. Xiaoqi Tan
University Commons 6-121,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB,
Canada T6G 2N8
Email: xiaoqi.tan$\textsf{@}$ualberta.ca
Web: https://xiaoqitan.org