REU Site: Computational Modeling Serving the City

Portland State University, Portland OR

Investigators

Abstract

The focus area of this Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site is computational modeling to serve and enhance the Portland metropolitan region as it grows and evolves. Students will be involved in cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary research projects and trained in computational thinking across different disciplines and communities. In doing so, they will gain an understanding of the potential and limits of these tools and how they can serve diverse urban communities. Portland State University (PSU), with its newly-funded Portland Institute for Computational Science (PICS), has developed a reputation as a national model for urban universities that enhance their region by working with partners to solve problems. The activities of this REU site will involve a 2-week training to teach students the foundations of computational modeling, followed by an 8-week research project completed in a research lab under a mentor's guidance and with the involvement of a community partner. The community-oriented aspect is aligned with PSU's motto "Let knowledge serve the city." The investigator will recruit a very diverse population of undergraduate students across disciplines, in particular from institutions with limited Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) research opportunities, such as 2-year community colleges. The REU site will allow students to enrich their educational experiences by providing them with an intellectual toolbox that has the potential to have a lasting impact on their diverse careers. The intellectual merit of the project is rooted in exposing students to community-based computational modeling projects as a way of developing their computational thinking well beyond the computing disciplines. Interdisciplinary projects across disciplines and communities together with weekly site meetings will provide students a unique, multi-faceted perspective. The intended impact of the REU site is to teach students the fundamental skills of computational modeling and thinking that will help them understand and solve complex problems in a complex world. At the end of the internship, the student will present the research outcomes to the community partner. Weekly site meetings, seminars, site visits, and a final symposium will enrich the internship. The hands-on nature of the cutting-edge research projects has the potential to attract and motivate a diverse population of students to pursue a STEM career. 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.