REU Site: Using the Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Mathematics to Study Crime

“利用社会科学、自然科学和数学来研究犯罪”是一个跨学科的REU项目，汇集了阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校(UAB)三个专业(刑事司法、法医科学和计算机取证)的教师。这个为期八周的暑期项目将这些既独特又相互关联的项目的优势结合在一起，形成了一种协同关系。学生与教师在三个研究领域之一合作：1)刑事司法，2)法医科学，或3)数字法医。这一合作项目使REU的学生参与者、教师导师、两个学术部门、艺术与科学学院、信息保障和联合法医研究中心、大学研究基础设施以及科学界通过智力优势和更广泛的影响受益。智力价值通过将传统社会科学学科(刑事司法)与两个STEM学科(法医科学和计算机与信息科学)结合起来，REU项目解决了新出现的犯罪和刑事调查问题。我们的项目为本科生提供了一个迫切需要的机会，让他们对一个紧迫的社会问题进行跨学科的研究。该课程的总体目标是让不同的本科生群体参与跨学科研究，为他们在刑事司法/犯罪学、社会学、生物学、化学、法医学、计算机科学和计算机取证方面的广泛研究生课程做好准备。这一REU计划通过有针对性的招聘和指导，扩大了STEM研究机会有限的院校中代表性不足的群体和学生的研究参与。UAB是美国东南部地区种族最多元化的大学之一，周围有大量具有类似多样性水平的大学，以及许多历史上一直是黑人的学院和大学(HBCU)。UAB的研究基础设施和人员已经到位，以提供针对来自全国各地的不同本科生群体的强大的跨学科研究项目。除了学习科学内容和参与实际的研究项目外，学生还可以学习科学探究的跨学科性质、研究道德、研究生选择以及专业和职业发展。广泛的影响这个跨学科的REU网站对学生产生了巨大的广泛影响。REU的参与者和教师导师对许多学科对研究挑战的贡献有了更好的认识和欣赏。该项目以群体为基础的性质使学生能够与来自多个学科的教职员工和学生发展长期的合作关系。这一跨学科计划的成果包括：1)最先进的研究经验，激励学生攻读社会科学和STEM学科的研究生学位；2)扩大代表不足的群体和来自STEM研究机会有限的学院和大学的学生对犯罪研究的参与；3)提高对社会科学和STEM学科如何融合以解决紧迫社会问题的理解；4)REU学生和教职员工的社区意识；5)社会科学和STEM学科研究人员面临的伦理问题的理解；以及6)加强司法部(包括刑事司法、法医科学、和法律研究项目)和UAB计算机和信息科学系(包括计算机取证和数字安全项目)。

"Using the Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Mathematics to Study Crime" is an interdisciplinary REU program that brings together faculty from three programs (Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and Computer Forensics) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This eight-week summer program combines the strengths of these distinctive, yet interrelated, programs into a synergistic relationship. Students work with faculty in one of three research tracks: 1) Criminal Justice, 2) Forensic Science, or 3) Digital Forensics. This collaborative venture benefits REU student participants, faculty mentors, two academic departments, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Center for Information Assurance and Joint Forensics Research, the university research infrastructure, and the scientific community via intellectual merit and broader impacts.Intellectual MeritThis REU program addresses emerging issues of crime and criminal investigation by uniting a traditional Social Science discipline (Criminal Justice) with two STEM disciplines (Forensic Science and Computer and Information Science). Our program provides a much-needed opportunity for undergraduate students to conduct interdisciplinary research on a pressing social problem. The overall objective of this program is to involve a diverse group of undergraduate students in interdisciplinary research that prepare them for a wide range of post-graduate programs in Criminal Justice/Criminology, Sociology, Biology, Chemistry, Forensic Science, Computer Science, and Computer Forensics. This REU program broadens the research participation of underrepresented groups and students from colleges and universities where research opportunities in STEM are limited through targeted recruitment and mentoring. UAB is one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the Southeastern region of the United States and is surrounded by a large number of universities with similar levels of diversity, as well as many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The research infrastructure and personnel are in place at UAB to deliver a strong interdisciplinary research program targeted to a diverse group of undergraduate students from across the nation. In addition to learning scientific content and participating in real research projects, students also learn about the interdisciplinary nature of scientific inquiry, research ethics, post-graduate options, and professional and career development.Broader ImpactsNumerous broad impacts are realized for students involved in this interdisciplinary REU Site. REU participants and faculty mentors gain a greater awareness of, and appreciation for, the contributions of many disciplines to research challenges. The cohort-based nature of the program allow students to develop long-term collaborative relationships with faculty and students from multiple disciplines. The outcomes of this interdisciplinary program include: 1) State-of-the-art research experiences that motivate students to pursue graduate degrees in Social Science and STEM disciplines, 2) Broadened participation of underrepresented groups and students from colleges and universities where research opportunities in STEM are limited in research on crime, 3) Increased understanding of how Social Science and STEM disciplines converge to address pressing social problems, 4) A sense of community among REU students and faculty, 5) An understanding of ethical issues faced by researchers in Social Science and STEM disciplines, and 6) Enhanced collaboration between the Department of Justice Sciences (including Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and Legal Studies programs) and the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at UAB (including Computer Forensics and Digital Security programs).