The object of this program is to teach students the fundamentals of knowledge based systems and artificial intelligence (AI) and then allow the students to develop an expert system to demonstrate their skills. The students will participate in an eight-week workshop at LSU. During the first four weeks they will learn the fundamentals of AI. They will also participate in a seminar that will introduce careers in agricultural and life sciences, ethics in science and engineering, and research methodology. During the second half of the workshop, the students will work with a faculty mentor to develop an expert system in one of the agricultural or life sciences. The students will have the opportunity to work in the LSU Knowledge Based System Development Laboratory utilizing state-of-the-art AI workstations. The participants will choose from a wide array of projects in the agricultural sciences. The expert system may be a diagnostic tool, an identification guide, a trouble shooting program or an interpreter to a simulation model. This approach to a young scholars program not only allows the participants to work with scientists in a field of study, but they will also be able to study decision making processes and learn the concepts of uncertainty in decision making and logical steps in the process.
