Computer Science Department Hosts Combinatorial Algorithms Applied Research Experience for Undergraduates for the Second Consecutive Year

This summer the Computer Science department will once again host a summer research experience for undergraduates program: the Combinatorial Algorithms Applied Research Experience for Undergraduates (CAAR REU). This REU is a 10-week summer NSF funded program that aims to expose undergraduate students to applied research projects in algorithmic design. Faculty members in a variety of research areas will advise students in their discoveries of algorithmic solutions to real world problems.

The summer 2014 research projects:

• Security in Cloud Computing (advised by Dr. Jonathan Katz and Dr. Elaine Shi)
• Identifying Patterns in Data Graphs (Dr. Louiqa Raschid)
• Pricing over Social Networks (Dr. MohammadTaghi HajiAghayi and Dr. Hamid Mahini)
• Games Based on Ramsey Theory (Dr. William Gasarch and Dr. Clyde Kruskal)
• Password Cracking (Dr. Jonathan Katz)

In addition to working on these projects, CAAR REU students will participate in weekly noon sessions focusing on graduate school, careers, and research ethics. Students will also have an opportunity to present their research and hear about other research being conducted in the computer science department during additional speaker sessions throughout the program. Students will receive a $5,000 stipend, free housing and meals during their 10 weeks of program participation.

This program, now in its second year, has been highly successful at introducing undergraduate students to the possibilities and benefits of research. Last year’s students note that, “the CAAR REU program is a great introduction to research! You [go from] a mere…idea…[to] a project that is your own!” Additionally students say that they “really got a sense of what it is like to do research,” and “learned that research [is] not a solitary activity – it involves working with other people and [it’s] fun!”

For students interested in Cybersecurity, the Maryland Cybersecurity Center (MC2), a partnership between the Computer Science Department, University of Maryland Institute of Advanced Computer Studies and the James A. Clark School of Engineering, offers its own Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. This program involves students working in teams, made up of: one graduate fellow, one faculty mentor, and up to four undergraduate students.  Past projects are listed on the MC2 REU website and students receive free housing and a $4,500 stipend.

• To apply visit: http://www.cs.umd.edu/projects/reucaar/apply.html
• To learn more visit: http://www.cs.umd.edu/projects/reucaar/index.html
• REU informational presentation given by Bill Gasarch: http://www.cs.umd.edu/~gasarch/reutalk.pdf