The Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (UseIT) is a team-based undergraduate research program run by the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) at its lead institution, the University of Southern California (USC). The overarching goal of SCEC/ UseIT is to motivate undergraduates from diverse backgrounds towards careers in science and engineering through team-based research in the exciting field of earthquake information technology. It enables undergraduates to participate in interdisciplinary research by developing and applying advanced visualization methods and other IT tools to solve challenging problems in earthquake system science. Summer interns interact in a collaborative, team-oriented, interdisciplinary research environment and are mentored by some of the nation's most forward-thinking earthquake and computer scientists. Research activities are structured around "Grand Challenges" in earthquake information technology. Each summer the interns build upon the foundation laid by previous sessions as they design and engineer increasingly sophisticated visualization tools. The current software, SCEC-VDO (Virtual Display of Objects) is now in wide use by SCEC scientists and is part of a multimedia curriculum at USC. SCEC/UseIT challenges undergraduates with difficult, real-world problems that require collaborative, multidisciplinary solutions. It engages non-science majors in the practical problems of reducing the risk from natural disasters, and thereby informs students with diverse backgrounds how their skills can be applied to significant societal issues. Earthquakes pose the greatest natural threat to the built environment in seismically active regions such as Southern California. SCEC/ UseIT will enhance the workforce in computer science and information technology (CS/IT) needed to make fundamental progress in earthquake system science. SCEC/UseIT provides the cross-training in CS/IT and system science that encourages students to broaden their coursework in college and to consider graduate work in the CS/IT aspects of system science.
