REU SITE: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Frontiers in Data-driven Computing

University Of Houston, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

The Computer Science Department of the University of Houston will conduct a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site program in Data-Centric Frontiers of Computing, an area of national importance. Exposure to meaningful research activities allows participants to assess their ability to conduct research which in turn benefits the notion by expanding its knowledge base in computer science. In each of the three summers of the program, ten students are selected for ten weeks of residential activities. The specific program objectives are as follows: (1) Students will develop competency in scientific research, as well as presentation and writing skills. (2) Students will produce meaningful research results, which may be written up for publication in an appropriate conference or journal. (3) Participants will learn to present and disseminate research results. Technical activities will be integrated with group activities, such as site visits to local area research laboratories and seminars by academic and industrial researchers, as well as alumni of the REU program. (4) Participants will sustain and increase their interest in research careers after the summer, through continuing contacts and research participation, including presentations of research results. The focus is on professional development so students can continue to work on research projects at their home university and be prepared for graduate studies. Students will take part in workshops on career development, ethics and legal issues (e. g., intellectual property), and methods of literature search; they will receive extensive advice on questions related to graduate school, including how to choose a program/school/advisor. The goal is for the program’s mentors to make a lasting impact on its participants beyond the program's duration. Program success will be continually evaluated through student and faculty questionnaires, and by an external evaluator; this feedback is used to improve the program. Interesting and meaningful research projects are proposed in this project. A crucial aspect of any research endeavor is verifiable facts. In most computer science (CS) research, it is data that embody these underlying facts. It is therefore important that participants learn about the core tenets of research, objectivity and verifiability. Projects analyzing various types of data are proposed to expose participants to these core tenets of research. Students are recruited from universities that offer limited research opportunities in computer science, such as historically black colleges. Many talented students in such institutions are either unaware of research career possibilities or lack access to opportunities to explore research firsthand. Emphasis will be placed on attracting underrepresented minorities and females. The program should attract new, nontraditional students into research, reinforce their interest in CS, improve student retention in their academic programs, and prepare them for graduate school. 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.