Tag Archive: Undergraduate Research

Cleveland dot plot showing the seventeen motivating reasons undergraduate computing students decided to participate in a formal research experience. The most frequently cited reason is to build work experience or their resume/CV, with 63% selecting this option.Cleveland dot plot showing the seventeen motivating reasons undergraduate computing students decided to participate in a formal research experience. The most frequently cited reason is to build work experience or their resume/CV, with 63% selecting this option.

CERP Infographic: What motivates students to participate in formal research experiences?

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By Ama Nyame-Mensah, Senior Research Associate, CERP Undergraduate research experiences are a promising tool for recruiting and retaining students in computing disciplines. Some studies show that undergraduate research opportunities help students gain confidence in their ability to conduct research, acquire valuable knowledge, and explore professional and career options (Alvarado, Villazon, & Tamer, 2019; Nyame-Mensah, Tamer, & […]

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ellie_youngellie_young

CRA-E’s Undergraduate Research Highlights: Why am I seeing this ad? User experience research to make privacy more accessible

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This Q&A highlight features Ellie Young, an Honorable Mention in the 2022 CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researchers award program. Ellie graduated from New College of Florida and is now a Societal Computing Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Congratulations on your Honorable Mention! How did you first join the project you were recognized for?

As a computer science student, I was staring down the possibility of spending life after graduation making widgets for a huge corporate machine, unintentionally complicit in societal harm. I felt an obligation to do work with as little potential to hurt people as possible. Having really enjoyed a class in usable privacy and security and an initial research experience at my home institution, I applied to research programs, mainly in privacy/security and human-computer interaction. I also applied to the Research Experience for Undergraduates in Software Engineering (REUSE) at Carnegie Mellon University after a classmate recommended it. REUSE offered me a position working in the exact sub-area of usable privacy and security I was most excited about!

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CRA-E
Samir KhullerSamir Khuller

On Undergraduate Research in Computer Science: Tips for shaping successful undergraduate research projects

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One of the goals I hope to accomplish with this article is to open the eyes of faculty to the ways in which bright and motivated undergraduates can contribute meaningfully to their research projects and groups. This piece intends to  help educate folks who  have limited experience with undergraduate research or are unsure how to come up with research projects. I hope it helps others learn quickly from the knowledge I have gained over the years.

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