REU Site: Computation Across the Disciplines

Marquette University, Milwaukee WI

Investigators

Abstract

Student participants in the Marquette University (MU) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site, "Computation Across the Disciplines," form a research cohort for a 10-week summer program designed to tackle a variety of interdisciplinary, open research questions. Each student works closely with a faculty mentor in MU's Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (MSCS) department to design research goals and milestones matched to their shared interests and aspirations. MU's REU site focuses on recruiting talented undergraduates who are uncertain about future graduate studies, with little or no research opportunity at their home institution. Working on different problems with diverse backgrounds, participants nevertheless can witness firsthand the commonalities of foundational research techniques across a wide spectrum of computational areas. MSCS REU participants may develop tools for managing high-performance computing infrastructure, model oceanographic and volcanic fluid flows, build novel embedded computer systems, analyze the impact of species loss in a complex ecological food web, discover biologically important pathways for gene regulation, or help predict natural gas flow through commercial distribution networks to reduce everyone's utility bills. Throughout, participants build essential research skills, such as problem solving, technical reading and writing, tool support, research poster construction, and oral presentation. MSCS faculty mentor expertise spans high performance computing, mathematical models and simulations, data assimilation, and embedded, mobile and ubiquitous systems, as well as math and computer science education. For more information on this ongoing program, see http://acm.mscs.mu.edu/reu/.