This project renews an exemplary former CISE Research Experience for Undergraduates site focused on the areas of information processing and decision making for intelligent and secure environments. A regional recruitment process is used to select cohorts of undergraduate students to participate in a summer research program at the host institution. Particular emphasis is placed on recruitment of students from under-represented populations and students from institutions lacking strong research programs and opportunities. The project includes mentoring by the experienced faculty members, technical seminars and workshops, student presentations, and field trips and other professional development opportunities. The project refines the recruitment, selection, and performance evaluation processes developed in the previous REU site project at the institution.
The intellectual merit of this project lies in strong research basis and the expertise of the faculty. The projects are in current research areas that are of interest to the community at large and that have clear practical applications. The students participate in a full range of research activities from preparing research literature to production and dissemination of research results.
The broader impacts of the project include providing a quality research experience to undergraduate students, particularly students from underrepresented groups and community college students. The participating faculty members are committed to under-represented minority students in their research. The institution has an outstanding record of supporting undergraduate research with many of the undergraduates selecting to go on to graduate school as a result of the experience. Thus this project has the potential to produce new computer science graduate students and faculty members and to advance discovery and understanding while promoting learning.
