REU Site: Language, Cognition and Computation

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program. The REU program has both scientific and societal benefits integrating research and education. Recent developments in cognitive science have led to breakthrough new scientific results and are providing the basis for exciting new applications in areas like social computing and assistive technologies. These developments present a challenge for education, however. Even at top research universities, students are hard-pressed to receive the appropriate training; the situation is even more difficult at institutions that do not provide extensive research training. This REU addresses this challenge. Based at Stanford's Center for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI), a top institution for interdisciplinary cognitive science, the program provides talented undergraduates from diverse backgrounds with both an opportunity to do mentored research in a top laboratory and a supportive program framework that includes technical training, professional development, and academic discussion. The scientific and technological innovations motivating this REU derive from a convergence within the core disciplines of cognitive science -- psychology, linguistics, and computer science -- around themes of uncertainty, approximation, and learning. As psychology and linguistics are becoming more computational, computation is returning to its cognitive roots. Artificial intelligence techniques developed in psychology are undergoing a resurgence in machine learning, and natural language processing models of syntactic structure are becoming the standard cognitive modeling frameworks in psycholinguistics. The prerequisites for research in this new intellectual environment include an understanding of how the mind works, familiarity with the nature of human language and communication, proficiency in statistical analysis, and advanced programming skills. Yet a classic psychology or linguistics degree provides almost no programming or technical experience, and a standard computer science education doesn't include any content on how the mind works. This REU fills such gaps in the training of undergraduates and helps to foster a new, more diverse generation of researchers entering cognitive science.