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

该项目更广泛的意义：在NSF工程教育和中心部门的支持下，这个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，满足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可取技能的个人，包括创造性地解决问题和冒险能力，用于关键基础设施安全的职业生涯，同时瞄准ADHD学生的需求，这些学生在工程项目中严重不足，没有得到足够的服务，并面临学业失败的风险。REU网站将为该项目中的ADHD学生提供积极的研究和教育体验，承认他们独特的智力优势，并鼓励他们继续从事工程职业，从而直接受益。了解这些学生在传统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能会提高社会上传统上成就不高的群体的教育水平。将努力向工程研究人员和教育工作者通报该项目，以提高工程界对不同思考者的不同学习需求和学习风格的认识。通过该项目传播的信息可能有助于改变我们的社会和教育系统对ADHD患者的看法，并可能显著改善这些个人及其家庭的福祉。项目描述：在NSF工程教育和中心部门的支持下，这个REU网站项目采用了一种全新的方法来教育和培训工程专业学生，使其在关键基础设施安全领域就业。网络和民用基础设施系统之间日益相互联系、相互依赖、日益复杂和一体化；网络威胁日益复杂，以及最近人为和自然灾害的严重性，这些都要求对关键基础设施的安全采取新的跨学科研究方法。该项目利用具有明显不同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激进的解决方案。通过为患有ADHD的具有高创新潜力的工程学学生提供跨学科的研究培训机会，该REU与专注于人才培养的传统方法不同，该项目的结果可能会改善工程教育的实施方式。通过该项目获得的关于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，可能会极大地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网站项目有可能强调关于ADHD学生在需要创造性问题解决方法的情况下表现良好的能力的研究结果。如果留住、培训和指导得当，这些服务不足的学生群体将在最需要创新和创造力的领域为社会带来巨大的潜力。

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.