REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Computer Vision

今天通过我们的学院和大学的年轻和有才华的头脑将决定我们的技术未来。为了保持美国以前在科学和工程领域的战略地位，美国学生需要更多的鼓励，以追求科学/技术/工程/数学（STEM）学科的高级研究。本科生研究经验（REU）网站旨在鼓励更多的美国计算机科学本科生攻读研究生课程，并帮助他们实现作为研究人员的全部潜力。研究人员认为，实现这些目标的最佳方法是让有能力的本科生在一个成功的、活跃的研究小组中呆上足够长的时间。这使他们接触到参与研究活动的智力兴奋，鼓励他们创造性地独立思考，并帮助他们发展从事研究项目所需的技能。该项目代表了计算机视觉领域的REU网站的更新，该网站已成功运营了三十年。重要的是要继续教育下一代的计算研究人员，包括特别强调参与计算领域的代表性不足的成员和那些就读于没有大量研究机会的机构的学生。将最佳实践传播到其他机构仍然是我们网站的坚定承诺，并通过在教育场所发表和参与REU社区来实现。该项目每年有10名本科生研究人员，为期三年。每年，本科生研究人员参加为期十周的全日制夏季课程，并在随后的秋季和春季参加可选的后续兼职。我们的方法的关键要素是（1）为本科研究人员提供一个完整的夏季经验，提供足够的时间来完成一个实质性的项目，（2）为每个本科研究人员提供几个可能的项目主题，这样他们就可以觉得他们选择了一个对他们来说最有趣的项目，（3）让本科生研究人员沉浸在一般的研究环境中，就像他们是研究生一样，让他们定期与他们的指导老师见面讨论他们的项目，参加每周的研究小组会议，参加研究报告，博士答辩和博士提案介绍，并会见来访的杰出研究人员，（4）提供本科研究人员一个可选的后续通过一年的工作与本科研究人员写一个关于他们项目的（可编辑的）技术报告，（5）通过半天的关于为什么读格拉德生院的研讨会，让他们了解研究生院的好处，如何申请格拉德生院和奖学金，如何准备标准化入学考试，（6）带他们实地考察当地技术公司参与真实的世界计算机视觉应用，以及（7）在社交活动中为他们提供指导：团体午餐，宴会，野餐，派对等。重要的是要继续教育下一代计算研究人员，包括特别强调在计算领域参与人数不足的成员。另一个重要的重点是为那些就读于没有大量研究机会的机构的学生提供深入的研究经验。此外，将最佳实践传播给其他感兴趣的机构仍然是我们网站的坚定承诺，并通过在教育场所发布和参与REU社区来实现。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The young and talented minds passing through our colleges and universities today will determine our technological future. To maintain America's previously-held strategic position of command in Science and Engineering, American students need greater encouragement to pursue advanced studies in Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site aims to encourage more American undergraduates in Computer Science to pursue graduate studies, and to assist them in realizing their full potential as researchers. The investigators believe that the best way to achieve these aims is to immerse capable undergraduates within a successful, active research group for a sufficient duration. This exposes them to the intellectual excitement that is involved in research activity, encourages them to think creatively and independently, and helps them to develop the skills necessary to work on research projects. This project represents renewal of the REU site in Computer Vision, which has operated successfully for the past thirty years. It is important to continue educating the next generation of computing researchers, including a special emphasis on engaging underrepresented members in computing fields and those students attending institutions that do not have substantial research opportunities. Dissemination of the best practices to other institutions remains our site's deep commitment and is achieved by publication in educational venues, and involvement in the REU community.This project has ten undergraduate researchers per year, for three years. Each year, undergraduate researchers participate in a ten week, full-time Summer program, with optional follow-on part-time participation during the subsequent Fall and Spring. The key elements of our approach are (1) a full Summer experience for the undergraduate researchers, providing sufficient time to follow a substantial project through to completion, (2) to present each undergraduate researcher with several possible project topics, so that they can feel they have chosen a project which is most interesting to them, (3) to immerse the undergraduate researchers in the general research environment essentially as if they were graduate students, by having them meet with their faculty advisor regularly to discuss their project, participate in the weekly research group meetings, attend research presentations, PhD defenses and PhD proposal presentation and meet with visiting distinguished researchers, (4) to offer undergraduate researchers an optional follow-through over the year by working with the undergraduate researchers to write a (publishable) technical report on their project, (5) to expose them to the benefits of graduate school through a half-day workshop on Why grad school, How to apply to grad school and fellowships, How to prepare for the standardized entrance exams, (6) to take them for field trips to local technology companies involved in real world applications of computer vision, and (7) to offer them mentoring at social events: group lunches, banquet, picnic, parties, etc. This site has been successful in contributing to educating generations of researchers. It is important to continue educating the next generation of computing researchers, including a special emphasis on engaging underrepresented members in computing fields. Another important emphasis is to provide intensive research experiences for those students attending institutions that do not have substantial research opportunities. Additionally, dissemination of the best practices to other interested institutions remains our site's deep commitment and is achieved by publication in educational venues, and involvement in the REU community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.