The Department of Computer Sciences actively encourages undergraduates to get involved in research whether their goals are obtaining an R & D (research and development) position, becoming a professor, or embarking on an industry or entrepreneurial career.
Research involves:
Most students become involved in research do so during their junior and senior years although there are opportunities available for talented sophomores and freshmen.
Dear Students,
The department would like to encourage more students to get involved with undergraduate research and many of our professors are very interested in working with undergrads on a project. I've compiled a list of professors who would be willing and able to work with a student in spring 2010. See the descriptions below - we asked professors to tell us what kind of research, and what a student should have already taken to be prepared to research with him/her. If you're interested in meeting with a certain professor(s) to discuss working together, let me know and I'll set up a meeting. Thanks!
Tiffany Grady
Assistant Director for Academic Initiatives
Department of Computer Sciencestgrady@cs.utexas.edu
(512) 471-9523
Professor: Raymond Mooney
Requirements: The student should have taken CS 343 or 371R with me
Type of Research: Machine learning, data mining, info retrieval, natural language
Professor: Aloysius Mok
Requirements: Student must have CS372 and preferably a class in computer networks. CS375 would also help.
Type of Research: Real-time and embedded systems
Professor: Greg Plaxton
Requirements: The student should have completed CS 337. Completion of CS 357 would be beneficial, but is not an absolute requirement.
Type of research: Implementation of auction mechanisms developed within my research group. Adaptation of such mechanisms to better suit the needs of specific markets.
Professor: Philip Cannata
Requirements: 345 and 347
Type of Research: Semantic database language and implementation
Professor: Tandy Warnow
Requirements: They should know how to program in some language, and be able to learn Perl and/or Python in order to do scripting.
Type of Research: Studying algorithms on real and simulated data. If the students are particularly skilled and interested, they could also develop their own methods, which we'd then test n real and simulated data. The general topic is "evolutionary tree and multiple sequence alignment estimation".
Professor: Jay Misra
Requirements: Programming languages (CS 345), Operating Systems (CS 372), Algorithms (CS 352, I think), Some course with a great deal of serious programming.
Type of Research: Language Implementation
Professor: Vijaya Ramachandran
Requirements: CS357 or CS357H
Type of Research: Algorithms research, mainly theory but some implementation is possible.
Professor: Chandra Bajaj
Requirements: Data structures + Algorithms, C++ programming
Type of Research: Internet Anti-Viral Drug Search/Scoring Engine
Professor: Peter Stone
Requirements: In general, a student who is going to work with me should either first take a class from me, or take the FRI autonomous vehicles class.
Type of Research: Artificial Intelligence
Professor: Mike Dahlin
Requirements: Ideally 372, but not required
Type of Research: TBD
Professor: Vladimir Lifschitz
Requirements: No specific classes required
Type of Research: Research in the area of Answer Set Programming (there is a Wikipedia article about it).
CS 370 (PDF) consists of supervised study of selected problems in computer sciences, by individual arrangement with supervising instructor. In Fall 2002 - Spring 2003, 71 students enrolled in CS 370.
CS 379H (PDF) extends the topic begun in CS 370, culminating in Departmental Honors that are awarded upon graduation. In Fall 2002 - Spring 2003, 21 students enrolled in CS 379H. CS 379H consists of directed reading, research, and/or projects in areas of computer sciences, under supervision of a faculty member, leading to an honors thesis. The thesis must be approved by a committee of three readers. To register for the course, students must receive permission from their supervising instructor and the CS faculty in charge of Departmental Honors, Dr. Calvin Lin. Past topics include:
The UROP funds undergraduates to work part-time as Undergraduate Research Assistants (URAs) during a given semester - from 10 to 20 hours per week - on a research project sponsored by a CS faculty member. Proposals in any CS research area are welcome. Appointment as a URA is distinct from registration for an individual instruction course (either CS 370 or CS 379H), and you do not need to be enrolled in such a course to apply. Students who are doing an undergraduate thesis are strongly encouraged to apply for a UROP in the semester in which they will complete their thesis.
To apply to the UROP program, find a faculty member with whom to work and login with your UT EID at http://www.cs.utexas.edu/academics/undergraduate/forms/urop_proctor/. Deadlines for applications will be announced online, via flyers around Taylor Hall, and through the weekly CS newsletter (sent via email) each semester.
You will need to submit a short report - no more than 5 pages - that includes a description of the research that you will conduct, the role that research plays in your academic program and career goals, the impact of your particular work on the other research within the department or if it is part of a larger research effort, and your qualifications to do the research. If you will also be enrolled in CS 370 or CS 370H, describe the work you will do for the class and how it differs from the project proposed for the UROP award.
Students who receive UROP funds will be expected to complete their research and report on it. A written report is required, as well as an oral presentation. Doing at least one of the following can satisfy the oral presentation requirement: presenting your research to at least two faculty members, completing an undergraduate thesis report and oral presentation, or presenting a poster at the College of Natural Sciences Undergraduate Research Forum held each spring. Your final written report should be 10 or more pages, 1.5-spaced, with 12-point type. Any appendices are extra. The report outline must consist of a title and one paragraph summary, an introduction and survey of existing work, your research results and conclusions, and a bibliography.
CS faculty members will sometimes individually fund work on a research project. Most of these positions are obtained after taking a course with a faculty member, although this is not always the case.
UT Undergraduate Research Journal is a student edited and published multidisciplinary journal. Its purpose is to highlight the research and independent studies of undergraduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. Professors may co-author papers with select undergraduates and at times provide funding for the students to co-present the paper at a research conference. Speak to your supervising faculty if you have more questions about this option.
The College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin encourages all undergraduates to incorporate a research experience into their undergraduate program. Whether you are new to research or ready to publish, UT and CNS have resources to help you get the most out of your research. Please visit the Natural Sciences undergraduate research page for more resources. You may also want to visit the EUREKA (Enhancing the Undergraduate Research Experience, Knowledge, and Access) database to learn about other research opportunities.
