REU Site: Research Experience in Cyber and Civil Infrastructure Security for Students with ADHD: Fostering Innovation

该项目的更广泛的意义：在NSF工程教育和中心部门的支持下，该REU网站通过为患有ADHD的本科生提供关键基础设施弹性的网络和物理安全方面的跨学科研究经验，解决了国家对关键基础设施弹性研究和劳动力培训的需求。 该计划将培养具有高度理想的技能组合的个人，包括创造性的解决问题和承担风险的能力，用于关键基础设施安全的职业生涯，同时针对ADHD学生的需求，这些学生在工程项目中代表性严重不足，服务不足，并有学术失败的风险。 REU网站将通过提供积极的研究和教育经验，承认他们独特的智力优势，并鼓励他们继续从事工程职业，直接使该计划中的ADHD学生受益。 了解这些学生在传统的工程研究和教育环境中面临的困难和问题，可以设计专门的学习环境，提高他们的参与度，培养他们的创造潜力。 这些专门的学习环境可以提高社会中传统上成就不足的群体的教育水平。 将努力告知工程研究人员和教育工作者有关该项目的信息，以促进工程界对不同思想家的不同学习需求和学习风格的认识。 通过这个项目传播的信息可能有助于导致一个范式的转变，在如何与ADHD的个人被认为是由我们的社会和教育系统，并可能导致显着改善这些人及其家庭的福祉。项目描述：由工程教育和中心的NSF部门的支持下，这个REU网站程序采用了一种全新的方法来教育和培训工程专业的学生在关键基础设施安全的职业生涯。 网络和民用基础设施系统之间日益增长的互连性，相互依赖性，复杂性和集成性;网络威胁的日益复杂性，以及最近人为和自然灾害的严重性，需要新的跨学科研究方法来确保关键基础设施的安全。 该项目利用具有显著发散思维和冒险特征的个人的潜力，为关键基础设施的安全提出根本性的解决方案。 通过提供跨学科的研究培训机会，工程专业的学生具有高创造力的潜力谁有多动症，这个REU背离传统的方法，专注于人才培养，这个项目的成果可能会导致工程教育如何进行改进。 通过该项目产生的关于ADHD学生的经验以及他们在传统工程教育和研究环境中面临的障碍的知识，可能会大大鼓励未来在学习环境，劳动力发展方面的研究，并可能最终扩大非传统，代表性不足的群体在工程学科中的参与。 这个REU网站程序有可能强调ADHD学生在需要创造性解决问题的方法的情况下表现良好的能力。 如果得到适当的保留、培训和指导，这些得不到充分服务的学生群体在最需要创新和创造力的领域具有巨大的潜力，可以造福社会。

BROADER SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT:Supported by the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers, this REU Site addresses a national need for research and workforce training in critical infrastructure resilience by providing undergraduate students with ADHD with interdisciplinary research experience in the cyber and physical security aspects of critical infrastructure resilience. The program will cultivate individuals with highly-desirable skills sets, including creative problem solving and risk taking abilities, for careers in the security of critical infrastructures while targeting the needs of ADHD students who are severely underrepresented and underserved in engineering programs and at risk of academic failure. The REU Site will directly benefit the ADHD students in the program by providing a positive research and education experience that recognizes their unique intellectual strengths and encourages them to continue in engineering careers. Understanding the difficulties and problems these students face in traditional engineering research and education settings enables specialized learning environments to be designed that increase their participation and foster their creative potential. These specialized learning environments may increase the level of education of a traditionally under-accomplished group in the society. Efforts will be made to inform engineering researchers and educators about the project to promote awareness within the engineering community of the diverse learning needs and learning styles of divergent thinkers. The information disseminated through this project may help lead to a paradigm shift in how individuals with ADHD are perceived by our society and education system and may lead to significant improvements to the wellbeing of these individuals and their families.PROJECT DESCRIPTION:Supported by the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers, this REU Site program adopts a radically novel approach to education and training of engineering students for careers in critical infrastructure security. The growing interconnection, interdependence, complexity, and integration among cyber and civil infrastructure systems; the ever-increasing sophistication of cyber threats, and the severity of recent manmade and natural hazards, demand novel, interdisciplinary research approaches to the security of critical infrastructure. This project capitalizes on the potential of individuals with significant divergent thinking and risk taking characteristics to suggest radical solutions for the security of critical infrastructure. By offering interdisciplinary research training opportunities to engineering students with high creative potential who have ADHD, this REU departs from traditional approaches that focus on talent development, and the outcomes of this project may lead to improvements in how engineering education is performed. The knowledge generated through this project regarding the experience of ADHD students and the impediments they face in traditional engineering education and research settings, may significantly encourage future research in learning environments, workforce development, and may ultimately broaden participation of non-traditional, underrepresented groups in engineering disciplines. This REU Site program has the potential to underscore findings concerning the ability of ADHD students to perform well in situations that demand creative problem solving approaches. If retained, trained, and mentored properly, this underserved population of students presents significant potential to benefit the society in areas in which innovation and creativity are most needed.