REU Site: Research and Development of Algorithms in a Software Factory

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The objectives of Montana State University's (MSU) Computer Science (CS) Department REU project are 1) to expose undergraduate students to real-world, innovative and interdisciplinary algorithms research founded in modern software engineering techniques; 2) to encourage more undergraduates to continue their academic careers and seek graduate degrees in computer science and related disciplines; 3) to develop research skills and improve communication and collaborative skills; and 4) to foster collaboration and entrepreneurship in the development of prototype software through our innovative Software Factory environment. The REU program will aim to broaden impact and participation by recruiting high-quality undergraduate students from regional tribal colleges, students from small colleges with limited resources, as well as women engineering students to increase the gender and cultural diversity of students. The REU projects encourage students to take a systems-level perspective in solving problems from an ever-growing number of diverse commercial, educational and environmental domains. This REU will increase student awareness of cultural diversity and bolster academic confidence and interest among underrepresented groups to aid in retention and advancement, as well as preparing students in real world development environments. The program will leverage highly successful MSU campus-wide and College of Engineering programs already in place to recruit and retain underrepresented students from Montana tribal colleges.By using a realistic software development environment - the Software Factory, the PIs will heighten undergraduate student participation in innovative research of algorithm development. Project topics have been carefully selected by each mentor to make sure they include a significant development component. It seeks to increase the number and diversity of students entering graduate programs and research careers in computer science and related fields. The program will target a variety of topics in interdisciplinary research aligned with every mentor's area of expertise. The students will acquire key general research skills, learn how to design algorithms and develop and use tools to tackle complex problems.