Undergraduate Computer Research for Women at Oakland University
The primary objective of the proposed REU Site is to promote graduate studies in Computer Science and Engineering to bright, talented undergraduate women students. The objective will be achieved by creating a nurturing environment and a first hand experience in the activities most directly related to graduate study and research careers, and by targeting the pool of recruitment to women from undergraduate institutions and women from majors related to Computer Science and Engineering. We are planning on enrolling eight students in each of the three summers covered by this program. The activities planned include conducting research as part of a team, communicating research results orally through presentations and in writing through research reports, and disseminating project information and results through the web. In addition, each participant will attend a national conference to gain an up-close experience about research as a profession, and be enrolled in ACM and SWE (Society of Women Engineers).
The national and local statistics [2] confirm the existence of a large pool of women students who have the Intellectual potential and the academic preparation for graduate studies in Computer Science and Engineering, but who never receive the exposure and motivation that led them to such career choices. The proposed REU Site will actively seek and recruit such students from Oakland University as well as from neighboring undergraduate institutions. There are many 2 and 4-year colleges in the geographical vicinity of Oakland University with limited or non-existent research programs. Examples of near-by four-year institutions that will be targeted include Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Lawrence Technological University, University of Detroit-Mercy, Madonna University and University of Michigan at Flint. The two-year colleges that will be targeted for participants include Macomb Community College, Oakland Community College, Henry Ford Community College, Marygrove College and Rochester College. The intellectual focus of the proposed REU Site will be intelligent information processing and management. This focus was selected both because it represents a unifying theme to the research activities of the investigators and other faculty participants, and because it is an area at the edge of research with a wealth of applications. The match between the faculty's research and the selected focus provides a natural setting for students to get involved in on-going research projects, and an opportunity to follow up on this research and continue to contribute after completion of their REU participation. The wealth of potential and existing applications of the selected area of focus will serve as a great motivator for the undergraduate students targeted.
