Feb 22, 2011 - Claremont, Calif. -

The National Science Foundation has awarded Harvey Mudd College $367,461 to support undergraduate computer science research through 2013.

A 10-week summer program, Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) offers students from HMC and other colleges the opportunity to participate in one of four projects. The program strives to engage students in stimulating research. It also encourages them to pursue graduate study in computer science by offering a taste of the graduate-school experience.

“The program offers two valuable experiences: 1) first-hand knowledge of the enjoyment brought by the challenges and practice of computer science research and 2) the intense experience of pursuing a problem further than others have done before,” said Zach Dodds, computer science professor and REU mentor. “The satisfaction in making progress on a difficult problem can inspire a student to pursue graduate work not because it’s ‘the next thing to do,’ but because it’s something they find worthwhile and rewarding.”

Students work alongside faculty mentors conducting research in computer systems, artificial intelligence, and computational biology. Those who complete the program receive on-campus housing and meals, plus a $5,000 summer stipend.

This year’s program runs from June 6 through August 12 and features the following research projects:

Garbage Collection
The Garbage Collection project creates efficient algorithms for memory management within garbage-collected computer languages such as Java. Students study the basics of garbage collection (reclaiming memory occupied by objects no longer in use), examine recent research, and produce original research that enhances the state-of-the-art in memory management.

Monocular Robot Mapping
The Monocular Robot Mapping project tests machine-learning and computer-vision–based algorithms to address the difficulties involved in “low-level” visual processing. Using a mobile robotic platform—ARDrone quad-rotor helicopters equipped with web cameras—students will create and compare autonomous approaches for mapping and navigation.

Interactive Computer Music Systems
The Interactive Computer Music Systems project develops educational software tools to help people learn and improvise music, particularly jazz. Working with the project’s Impro-Visor software, students will explore computational creativity and investigate approaches for automatically creating music. With a following among jazz musicians, Impro-Visor has had more than 10,000 downloads as it grows each year in capability and scope.

Algorithms & Systems for Evolutionary Interference
The Algorithms & Systems for Evolutionary Interference project will design and test algorithms, using them in software tools that help biologists analyze real-world data to determine how two species may have co-evolved. Students will work with the “Jane” software, which applies computational techniques to analyze and reconcile the evolutionary histories of ecologically linked species to determine if and how they may have impacted each other’s development. The Summer 2010 REU project collaborated with more than 30 biologists and computer scientists to determine the co-evolution of 200 fig species and the wasp species that pollinate them. To date, it is the largest co-speciation hypothesis validated computationally, and its computations were made feasible by the algorithms that grew from the HMC REU.