Please read the information below carefully. Dr. Pagniello will not respond to email inquiries about opportunities.
Update 02/02/2026: The MILLO Group has reached maximum student capacity. We will only consider applications from prospective postdoctoral fellows.
Thank you for your interest in joining the Marine Innovation Lab for Leading-edge Oceanography. We are always looking for exceptional, diverse individuals to join our group. We believe that good science is as much about the people we work with as it is about the research itself. As such, we expect all members of the MILLO group to be nice people, treat everyone with respect, collaborate and help others as well as foster a growth mindset.
Successful group members usually possess a combination of some of the following technical skills: coding for data analysis, embedded software design, deep learning, computer-aided design software, soldering and printed circuit board design. Above all, we expect all group members to be MacGyvers. We also value individuals with strong communication, active listening, problem-solving, adaptability, leadership and project management skills.
If you think that you might be a good fit, please read more about the available positions below and complete this interest form. The interest form will ask you these questions and to provide your CV and transcripts as well as an example research/technical project and writing sample. Dr. Pagniello will not respond to email inquiries about opportunities.
We encourage students who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to apply. This includes (but is not limited to) racial and ethnic minorities, women, individuals who identify with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, individuals with disabilities, individuals from lower income backgrounds, and/or first generation college graduates. Given the university's aspirations of becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, we are particularly interested in supporting students who identify as Native Hawaiians and/or Pacific Islanders as well as those with extensive traditional/local ecological knowledge about the waters around Hawaii and the Pacific Islands gained through either personal experience or through their education.
We also have reached maximum student capacity. As such, we will not consider supporting current UH Mānoa students or external undergraduate students for volunteer or funded research opportunties, OEST 499 (Directed Research) or Senior Honors Projects.
When positions are available, our preference is to start working with students at the start of their 2nd (sophomore) or 3rd year (junior). Exceptional candidates with clear career goals (e.g., desire to pursue a PhD) and prior experience in their 1st year will also be considered. We are unlikely to consider 4th year (senior) students unless they plan to stay to pursue a MS.
At minimum, we require that all undergraduate students, regardless of seniority, be able to code in either Matlab, Python or R prior to joining the lab. Those interested in projects that require fabrication should also have experience in at least one of computer-aided-design (CAD), soldering and/or microcontrollers.
We expect all undergraduate students to apply for UROP and/or any other funding opportunities. Funding is not guaranteed for the duration of your project or degree.
Please do your homework before submitting your interest. We are an hardware and software engineering lab with applications in marine biology. As such, we are interested in students with strong technical skills and coursework in math, physics, data science, computer science and/or engineering beyond an introductory level. We work with large datasets or instrumentation. We do not work directly with marine animals.
As above, Dr. Pagniello will not respond to email inquiries about opportunities.
Thank you for your interest. Unfortunately, The MILLO Group has reached maximum student capacity. We do not anticipate recruiting new graduate students until Fall 2028 for Fall 2029 at the earliest.
We are also actively looking for postdocs to join the MILLO group and are happy to assist in developing fellowship or grant applications to funding opportunities. Related fellowships include:
We are particularly interested in supporting postdocs who may be able to build on or expand beyond the group's three overarching themes. Postdocs in the MILLO group are expected to take an active role in mentoring junior team members and to essentially run their own lab program within the MILLO group in order to prepare them for their next step (e.g., a faculty position or leadership position in industry, NGO, etc.).
We encourage prospective postdocs to complete the interest form as early as possible (i.e., up to 2 years out from their PhD defense date) as securing funding can be a lengthly process.