The Intelligent and Interactive Media (IIM) REU Site at North Carolina State University immerses a diverse group of undergraduates in a vibrant research community working on cutting-edge interactive and intelligent media including serious games and game technologies, interfaces, visual experiences, and natural language dialogue. The IIM REU at NC State recruits broadly, but focuses on providing opportunities for students from underrepresented groups, and from colleges and universities with limited research opportunities, reaching students not typically exposed to research. The IIM REU engages faculty and graduate student mentors with undergraduates to create a supportive culture of collaboration while promoting individual contributions to research through just-in-time training for both mentors and students throughout the summer. REU students present their work at an undergraduate research competition, develop videos to convey their research to K-12 students, and are encouraged to submit their technical papers as peer reviewed publications.
The Site's explicit training in research skills and mentoring to support students with diverse backgrounds through the Affinity Research Groups model, and its engagement and integration with the STARS Alliance (http://starsalliance.org) to recruit students from underrepresented groups, creates great potential to inspire students to enroll in computing graduate programs. The project's focus on relevant cutting edge interactive technologies is a proven focus that can improve retention for minorities and women. REU students become part of the STARS Computing Corps, a computing leadership consortium dedicated to broadening participation in computing, providing REU students access to excellent mentoring and networking resources through STARS while also giving them the chance to extend their REU experiences into the academic year.
The Intelligent and Interactive Media REU website (http://research.csc.ncsu.edu/iim-reu/) provides additional information to students, educators and researchers.
