Email Agent for Research Outreach

A Python-based email automation tool designed to send personalized emails to professors for research internship inquiries.

Features

• Personalized Email Templates: Automatically generates customized emails based on professor information
• CSV Integration: Loads professor data from CSV files for bulk email operations
• Attachment Support: Automatically attaches resume, research posters, and other documents
• Smart Delays: Includes configurable delays between emails to avoid spam detection
• Email Validation: Validates email addresses before sending
• Progress Tracking: Shows real-time progress and success/failure statistics

Setup

1. Install Dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Gmail App Password Setup

   • Enable 2-Factor Authentication on your Gmail account
   • Generate an App Password specifically for this application
   • Set environment variable:

     export SENDER_EMAIL="your_email@gmail.com"
     export SENDER_PASSWORD="your_gmail_app_password"

3. Prepare Your Data

   • Create a professors.csv file with columns: first_name, last_name, email, research_topics
   • Add your attachments (resume, research poster) to the project directory

Usage

python agent.py

The script will:

1. Load professor data from professors.csv
2. Generate personalized emails for each professor
3. Send emails with attachments and appropriate delays
4. Provide a summary of successful/failed sends

CSV Format

last_name,email,research_topics
Smith,john.smith@university.edu,"machine learning and computer vision"
Doe,jane.doe@university.edu,"natural language processing and AI ethics"

Security Notes

• Never commit your actual email credentials to version control
• Use environment variables for sensitive information
• The script includes sample data that should be replaced with real professor information

File Structure

email-agent/
├── agent.py           # Main email agent class and logic
├── professors.csv     # Professor contact information
├── README.md         # This file
└── attachments/      # Your resume and research materials

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⚠️ Important: Always test with a small batch first and ensure you comply with your institution's email policies.