REU Site: Computational Modeling Serving the City

本科生（REU）网站的研究经验的重点领域是计算建模，以服务和提高波特兰大都市区，因为它的增长和发展。学生将参与尖端的多学科研究项目，并在不同学科和社区的计算思维培训。在此过程中，他们将了解这些工具的潜力和局限性，以及它们如何为不同的城市社区服务。波特兰州立大学（PSU），其新资助的波特兰计算科学研究所（PICS），已经建立了声誉，作为城市大学的国家模式，通过与合作伙伴合作解决问题，提高他们的地区。这个REU网站的活动将包括为期2周的培训，教学生计算建模的基础，然后是一个为期8周的研究项目，在导师的指导下，并与社区合作伙伴的参与下，在研究实验室完成。面向社区的方面与PSU的座右铭“让知识为城市服务”保持一致。“调查人员将招募跨学科的非常多样化的本科生，特别是来自科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）研究机会有限的机构，如两年制社区学院。REU网站将为学生提供一个智力工具箱，有可能对他们的不同职业产生持久的影响，从而丰富他们的教育经验。该项目的智力价值植根于让学生接触基于社区的计算建模项目，作为发展他们的计算思维的一种方式，远远超出了计算学科。跨学科和社区的跨学科项目以及每周的现场会议将为学生提供一个独特的，多方面的视角。REU网站的预期影响是教学生计算建模和思维的基本技能，这将有助于他们理解和解决复杂世界中的复杂问题。在实习结束时，学生将向社区合作伙伴展示研究成果。每周的现场会议，研讨会，现场参观，和最后的研讨会将丰富实习。尖端研究项目的实践性质有可能吸引和激励不同人群的学生追求STEM职业。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力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 focus area of this Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site is computational modeling to serve and enhance the Portland metropolitan region as it grows and evolves. Students will be involved in cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary research projects and trained in computational thinking across different disciplines and communities. In doing so, they will gain an understanding of the potential and limits of these tools and how they can serve diverse urban communities. Portland State University (PSU), with its newly-funded Portland Institute for Computational Science (PICS), has developed a reputation as a national model for urban universities that enhance their region by working with partners to solve problems. The activities of this REU site will involve a 2-week training to teach students the foundations of computational modeling, followed by an 8-week research project completed in a research lab under a mentor's guidance and with the involvement of a community partner. The community-oriented aspect is aligned with PSU's motto "Let knowledge serve the city." The investigator will recruit a very diverse population of undergraduate students across disciplines, in particular from institutions with limited Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) research opportunities, such as 2-year community colleges. The REU site will allow students to enrich their educational experiences by providing them with an intellectual toolbox that has the potential to have a lasting impact on their diverse careers.The intellectual merit of the project is rooted in exposing students to community-based computational modeling projects as a way of developing their computational thinking well beyond the computing disciplines. Interdisciplinary projects across disciplines and communities together with weekly site meetings will provide students a unique, multi-faceted perspective. The intended impact of the REU site is to teach students the fundamental skills of computational modeling and thinking that will help them understand and solve complex problems in a complex world. At the end of the internship, the student will present the research outcomes to the community partner. Weekly site meetings, seminars, site visits, and a final symposium will enrich the internship. The hands-on nature of the cutting-edge research projects has the potential to attract and motivate a diverse population of students to pursue a STEM career.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.