This project, investigating a spectrum of research topics centered in software engineering and AI, proposes building a common infrastructure that would enable expanding the educational program to include the production of high-quality PhD students and to continue to conduct nationally competitive research. Additionally, the project seeks expansion in networking expertise. Specific goals include: Develop a PhD program in Computer Science, Prepare productive research faculty to take on PhD students, Improve faculty research, especially research with student co-authors, Recruit and retain excellent graduate and undergraduate students, Increase student support, thereby encouraging students to stay in school, Increase mentoring and improve tracking of graduate students, Improve departmental laboratory and research facilities, and Monitor department progress towards the program goals with an external evaluation team. Initially the following projects will directly benefit from the infrastructure proposed: Software Reuse Measurement, Reliability Modeling, Requirement Simulation, Software Performance Engineering, Real-Time Secure Processing of Data on Distributed Systems, Advanced Knowledge Acquisition and Dissemination, and Fault-Tolerance. Educational and outreach activities involve faculty development, mentoring, curricular changes, and active recruitment. A PhD program in CS at an HBCU should prepare more African American students in CISE areas and fulfill some of the high demand for minority faculty. At the moment, no HBCU offers a PhD in CISE areas.
