REU Site: Research Experience for Neurodiverse Students: Transforming the Nation's Aging Infrastructure by Advancing Radical Solutions

在NSF工程教育和中心部门的支持下，这个REU网站通过增加在老化的民用基础设施领域具有专业知识和创造性问题解决能力的个人数量，在国家优先领域发展能力。这一计划满足了研究和培训的迫切需求，同时瞄准了工程项目中传统上服务不足和代表性不足的神经多样性学生群体的需求，包括那些有ADHD(注意力缺陷多动障碍)和/或阅读障碍的学生，他们有很高的学业失败风险。REU网站将直接使参与者受益，因为它提供了积极的研究体验，承认并建立了他们独特的优势，以改善他们的自我形象，鼓励他们在工程职业生涯中坚持不懈，并加强他们对工程研究的参与。此外，该计划旨在增加对传统工程教育环境中神经多样性学生挑战的理解。这些知识为未来制定专门方案奠定了基础，这些方案将增加参与度，并培养这一代表性不足群体的独特资产。主要调查人员将利用正式和非正式的机会向工程研究人员和教育工作者通报该计划，以提高人们对工程界不同神经质学生的独特才华和不同学习需求的认识。通过这个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神经多样性个人的看法。这可能会显著提高这些人及其家人的福祉。这个独特的计划培养了不同神经质的学生的开箱即用思维潜力，以提出根本性的解决方案，解决国家老化的水、电力或交通基础设施面临的问题。这是通过促进大数据、机器学习(ML)和人工智能(AI)的应用来实现的，以应对基础设施系统的互联、相互依赖和复杂性带来的工程挑战。问题的严重性要求发展非传统的、数据驱动的评估方法，并突出了将人工智能和数据驱动的损害量化方法纳入决策过程的潜力。所获得的知识和开发的解决方案将确立人工智能的应用，将其作为应对我国老化的基础设施带来的复杂和紧迫挑战的强大工具。该项目利用未得到充分服务的人群的未开发优势，通过鼓励新颖、变革性和激进的方法来促进创造力。通过该项目产生的关于不同神经的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和劳动力发展方面的研究。预计这项工作还可能有助于为不同神经的学生开发更具包容性的工程学课程。如果留住、培训和指导，这一未得到充分服务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。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Supported by the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers, this REU Site develops capacity in an area of national priority by increasing the number of individuals with expertise and creative problem-solving abilities in the field of aging civil infrastructure. This program addresses a critical need for research and training while targeting the needs of traditionally underserved and underrepresented groups of neurodiverse students in engineering programs, including those with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and/or dyslexia, who are at high risk of academic failure. The REU Site will directly benefit participants by providing a positive research experience that recognizes and builds on their unique strengths to improve their self-image, encourages their persistence in engineering careers, and enhances their participation in engineering research. Additionally, the program aims to increase understanding of the challenges of neurodiverse students in traditional engineering education settings. This knowledge provides a foundation for the future development of specialized programs that increase participation and foster the unique assets of this underrepresented group. The principal investigators will use formal and informal opportunities to inform engineering researchers and educators about the program to promote awareness about the unique talents and diverse learning needs of neurodiverse students within the engineering community. The information disseminated through this project may contribute to a change in how neurodiverse individuals are perceived by our society and our education system. It may lead to significant enhancement in the wellbeing of these individuals and their families.This unique program nurtures the out-of-the-box thinking potential of neurodiverse students to advance radical solutions to the problems facing the nation’s aging water, power, or transportation infrastructure. This is accomplished by promoting the application of big data, machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI) in tackling the engineering challenges caused by the interconnectivity, interdependency, and complexity of infrastructure systems. The magnitude of the problem demands advancing nontraditional, data-driven assessment methods and highlights the potential for incorporating AI and data-driven damage quantification methods in decision-making processes. The knowledge gained and solutions developed will establish the application of AI as a powerful tool for addressing the complex and pressing challenges posed by our nation’s aging infrastructure. This project capitalizes on the untapped strengths of an underserved population to promote creativity by encouraging novel, transformative, and radical approaches. The knowledge generated through this project regarding the experience of neurodiverse students and the obstacles they face in traditional engineering education and research settings may significantly encourage future research in learning environments and workforce development. It is anticipated that this work may also contribute to the development of more inclusive engineering programs for neurodiverse students. If retained, trained, and mentored, this underserved population of students presents significant potential to benefit society in areas in which innovation and creativity are most needed.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.