Interested in joining the Internet Rules Lab?
Current CU Boulder Students
If you are a student at CU Boulder (in any major!) and are interested in getting involved with our research, there are two major pathways.
Course Credit. Professor Fiesler can supervise independent studies, research hours, and honors or MS theses in both Information Science (preferred) and Computer Science at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Typically one credit hour translates to three hours of work per week.
Paid Research Assistant. For projects for which there is research funding, there may be positions available for hourly paid research assistants for students. The hourly pay range is $18 to $25, depending on level (e.g., undergraduate versus graduate) and experience. Preference for paid positions are given to students who have previously been involved in the lab for course credit or who have previous research experience.
How to Apply: First have a look at the type of research we do and at least one of Professor Fiesler’s published papers. Send an email to Professor Fiesler (casey.fiesler@colorado.edu) and include in your email: (1) why you are interested in being involved in the lab and what kind of research interests you; (2) information about yourself, including any previous research experience you have; and (3) whether you are interested in course credit, a paid position, or either. If you are unsure about any of this, please feel free to reach out anyway. (Note that I receive many emails, and sometimes can miss them—feel free to follow up!)
Graduate research assistantship funding is typically reserved for Professor Fiesler’s advisees, though as noted above, there may be hourly funding available depending on the project.
Professor Fiesler is also particularly interested in working with CS MS students who have an interest in a career in education and would like to do research in that space!
Prospective PhD Students
If you are considering applying to CU Boulder for graduate school, Professor Fiesler can serve as advisor for students in the PhD programs in Information Science (preferred) and Computer Science. The next application cycle will be for a Fall 2026 start, and the deadline for INFO PhD applications is December 1, 2025. Regardless of whether you are applying to our program or elsewhere, you might find my YouTube series on PhD admissions useful!
You are more than welcome to reach out to me (casey.fiesler@colorado.edu) prior to submitting your application, though do not feel obligated to do so. Due to funding uncertainties I cannot say for certain whether I will be admitting new PhD students this cycle, though if I am able, my recruiting priorities are mostly likely students interested in HCI research with an ethics flavor (e.g., human-centered rather than technical perspectives on AI ethics or internet ethics) and/or research on computing ethics education. I am best suited to advise students interested in human/qualitative methods over computational methods. For a non-comprehensive sense of relevant research topics, please see our list of current projects.
Prospective MS Students
If you are considering applying to CU Boulder for graduate school, Professor Fiesler can serve as research advisor for students in the MS programs in Information Science (preferred) and Computer Science. The next application cycle will be for a Fall 2026 start, and the deadline for INFO MS applications is February 1, 2026. You are more than welcome to reach out to me (casey.fiesler@colorado.edu) prior to submitting your application, though do not feel obligated to do so. Note that the INFO MS is a research Masters program, best suited for students interested in research careers and/or pursuing a PhD, and therefore you will need to have a research interest match with an advisor! For a non-comprehensive sense of relevant research topics for Professor Fiesler, please see our list of current projects.