REU Site: Undergraduate Computer Research (UnCoRe) In Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace

Oakland University, Rochester MI

Investigators

Abstract

This CISE Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site award funds a REU site at Oakland University. Each summer, undergraduate students from across the nation will work on challenging research problems related to cybersecurity, an area of national priority for our nation. Students will work with faculty mentors to use tools and techniques to solve problems that are timely and important. This site should help develop computing professionals who can build future computing systems and applications that are secure and trustworthy and that we can all use with confidence. This REU experience provides students with the foundations and inspiration to pursue computing careers and research in areas that are rapidly evolving and impacting all of our citizens. The site will focus on recruiting women and students from institutions where there are limited research opportunities. The team will use successful strategies employed in past REU Sites to recruit undergraduate students from groups traditionally under-represented in computer science. The site includes a significant research component combined with professional development opportunities for the participating undergraduate students. The students are immersed into a research environment with all of its facets: participating actively in shaping a research project and in defining the solution; communicating to peers and other audiences about the research and their findings; visiting research laboratories and attending scientific and technical presentations; and forming collegial relationships with research teams that include faculty, graduate students, and other scientific researchers. The resulting research is often presented at professional conferences and included in technical publications thus contributing to the body of research related to sustaining secure and trustworthy cyberspace. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the development of a diverse scientific workforce with expertise in areas critical to national security in the evolving global society of the future.