REU Site: Promoting Leadership in Advanced-Research-Computing for INterdisciplinary Sectors (PLAINS)

South Dakota State University, Brookings SD

Investigators

Abstract

Our nation's workforce demands graduates who are computationally proficient, can readily apply fundamental research to new challenges, and have both technical and interpersonal skills. The ability to understand and apply high fidelity modeling and simulations is becoming increasingly important in a wide variety of STEM disciplines, including engineering, biology, medicine, and digital agriculture. The PLAINS REU Site will engage STEM undergraduates in collaborative group projects that use High Performance Computing, Big Data, and computationally-intensive models as a central organizing theme. The students represent multiple STEM disciplines that employ similar simulation techniques but have significantly different applications. They will gain a competitive edge in the STEM workforce by combining a broad perspective on the theory and application of computing with training in research integrity and the development of professional skills, such as technical communication and leadership. Through experience, training, and mentoring, participants will emerge from this program with the skills, aptitude, and desire to pursue further study and careers in STEM. This project serves the national interest and advances NSF's mission to promote the progress of science by engaging undergraduate students in state-of-the art research in engineering applications and computation, and promotes the nation's health, prosperity, and welfare by strengthening the STEM workforce and increasing the participation of underrepresented groups and nontraditional students. This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program. The goals of this REU Site are to enhance students' abilities to: 1) conduct innovative and meaningful research using high performance computing (HPC) and other computing tools and resources, 2) work in a collaborative research environment, 3) conduct research with integrity and social responsibility, 4) succeed in a professional career, and 5) pursue graduate STEM programs and/or research opportunities post-graduation. Program directors will recruit ten students per year from a diverse pool of first- and second-year STEM majors from traditionally under-represented populations (small rural colleges, community colleges, tribal colleges, and non-traditional students). Each student will work closely with graduate assistant and faculty mentors every day, and with industry mentors several times per week. Participants will learn how high fidelity models can be used to represent physical phenomena, how the models are implemented within a large computing environment, and how the simulation results are analyzed, interpreted, and used to gain insight for theoretical and applied problems. Students will gain valuable experience with simulation tools in the context of engineering analysis, state-of-the-art research tools in computation, statistical analysis based on real datasets and simulations, and advanced numerical methods including parallel algorithms in HPC. Tangible outcomes will include student-authored journal articles, conference proceedings, and technical presentations. The REU Site's success will be assessed by an external evaluator through formative and summative evaluations; student reflections, interviews, and enrollment in STEM graduate programs; and the CISE REU Toolkit. 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.