REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Computer Vision

The University Of Central Florida Board Of Trustees, Orlando FL

Investigators

Abstract

The young and talented minds passing through our colleges and universities today will determine our technological future. To maintain America's previously-held strategic position of command in Science and Engineering, American students need greater encouragement to pursue advanced studies in Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site aims to encourage more American undergraduates in Computer Science to pursue graduate studies, and to assist them in realizing their full potential as researchers. The investigators believe that the best way to achieve these aims is to immerse capable undergraduates within a successful, active research group for a sufficient duration. This exposes them to the intellectual excitement that is involved in research activity, encourages them to think creatively and independently, and helps them to develop the skills necessary to work on research projects. This project represents renewal of the REU site in Computer Vision, which has operated successfully for the past thirty years. It is important to continue educating the next generation of computing researchers, including a special emphasis on engaging underrepresented members in computing fields and those students attending institutions that do not have substantial research opportunities. Dissemination of the best practices to other institutions remains our site's deep commitment and is achieved by publication in educational venues, and involvement in the REU community. This project has ten undergraduate researchers per year, for three years. Each year, undergraduate researchers participate in a ten week, full-time Summer program, with optional follow-on part-time participation during the subsequent Fall and Spring. The key elements of our approach are (1) a full Summer experience for the undergraduate researchers, providing sufficient time to follow a substantial project through to completion, (2) to present each undergraduate researcher with several possible project topics, so that they can feel they have chosen a project which is most interesting to them, (3) to immerse the undergraduate researchers in the general research environment essentially as if they were graduate students, by having them meet with their faculty advisor regularly to discuss their project, participate in the weekly research group meetings, attend research presentations, PhD defenses and PhD proposal presentation and meet with visiting distinguished researchers, (4) to offer undergraduate researchers an optional follow-through over the year by working with the undergraduate researchers to write a (publishable) technical report on their project, (5) to expose them to the benefits of graduate school through a half-day workshop on Why grad school, How to apply to grad school and fellowships, How to prepare for the standardized entrance exams, (6) to take them for field trips to local technology companies involved in real world applications of computer vision, and (7) to offer them mentoring at social events: group lunches, banquet, picnic, parties, etc. This site has been successful in contributing to educating generations of researchers. It is important to continue educating the next generation of computing researchers, including a special emphasis on engaging underrepresented members in computing fields. Another important emphasis is to provide intensive research experiences for those students attending institutions that do not have substantial research opportunities. Additionally, dissemination of the best practices to other interested institutions remains our site's deep commitment and is achieved by publication in educational venues, and involvement in the REU community. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.