REU Site: Socially Relevant Computing and Analytics

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This "Socially Relevant Computing and Analytics" Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site (SRCA-REU) will immerse a diverse group of undergraduates in a vibrant research community of faculty and graduate students working on cutting-edge interactive and intelligent media, improving learning and healthcare outcomes, educational technologies, and diverse forms of interaction with and through computers. “Socially relevant computing” is a term used in a broad sense to include systems and data that have social relevance. Students will be recruited from underrepresented groups and colleges and universities with limited research opportunities through the STARS Computing Corps, an NSF-funded national consortium of institutions dedicated to broadening participation in computing. The project's focus on relevant cutting-edge technologies is a proven focus that can improve retention for minorities and women. Students in SRCA-REU will participate in a variety of research projects that range from interactive systems/games (addressing theme such as humans in learning, health, creativity, and providing food and shelter) to machine learning/analytics research (that deals with data generated from people interacting in these systems as well as the need for ethics in machine learning/analytics of such data). These research activities can potentially lead to the discovery and evaluation of innovative, interactive solutions to open problems in serious games, data analytics, intelligent tutoring, narrative generation, and biological algorithms. The SRCA-REU will provide explicit research mentoring training to faculty and graduate student mentors, and explicitly encourage faculty and student publication of results. SRCA-REU students will present their work at an undergraduate research competition and will be encouraged to submit their technical papers as peer reviewed publications. Using the Affinity Research Groups and STARS Training for REUs models, faculty and graduate student mentors will be engaged with undergraduates to create a supportive culture of collaboration while promoting individual contributions to research through just-in-time training for both mentors and students throughout the summer. 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.