Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Professor Bai's AR/VR Lab
Sifan Ye '20 tests an Augmented Reality field in Prof. Bai's AR/VR Lab
Sifan Ye '20 tests an augmented reality program in Prof. Bai's AR/VR Lab.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities in CS

research |ˈrēˌsərCH rəˈsərCH| noun

the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions

New Oxford American Dictionary

What is Research?

Research is about pushing the boundaries of what we know, asking new questions, finding the answers, and adding to our knowledge about the world.

How do I get started in Computer Science research?

  • Learn the boundaries: In order to push the boundaries of what we know, you have to know where those boundaries are. This requires preparation, including taking foundational courses in the discipline. For most Computer Science students, this means at least some of the Computer Science Major core courses.
  • Find a mentor: Research also almost always involves a personal relationship with a supervisor or so again, you need to take courses and get to know the professors and what they do in their research. Then you can make an appointment to meet with them and discuss possibilities.
  • Take CSC200 or 200H: This course is an intensive structured introduction to the problem solving skills needed to do research. 
  • Attend research group meetings: Many Computer Science research groups have regular meetings that are open to undergrads. That's another way to learn about research topics, meet people, and make a connection.
  • Help out however you can: Some research projects have opportunities to do less technical work as a way of getting involved. For example, you might run subjects through experiments designed by more experienced researchers. Make the connection first, then ask about the opportunities.
  • Find an NSF REU: The National Science Foundation funds programs called “Research Experiences for Undergraduates” for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. An REU Site consists of a group of undergraduates who work in the research pro- grams of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Visit the NSF website to look for REU opportunities at Rochester and elsewhere
  • Explore CRA's Research resources: https://conquer.cra.org

Students should also see the Office of Undergraduate Research for more information.

Interested undergrads are welcome to attend the following meetings of research groups in the Computer Science Dept.

CS Research Groups

What                                         When & Where                                          Who

Main Department Seminar

Monday 12:00 PM

Wegmans Hall 1400 

Prof. Hosseini

kaave.hosseini@rochester.edu 

Natural Language Processing

 

 

Prof. Gildea

gildea@cs.rochester.edu

 

RIT-UR Theory Canal

12:00 PM, second and fourth Wednesday most months

Seminar Series

Prof. Hemaspaandra

lane.hemaspaandra “at” icloud.com

ROC Human-Computer Interaction

Large Group Meeting

(paper reading/presentation)

Friday 10:00 AM, Wegmans Hall 2506

 

Small Group Meetings

Bai: Tuesday 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM, Wegmans Hall 408

Hoque: Tuesday 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM, Wegmans Hall 2506

 

Profs. Bai and Hoque

zbai@cs.rochester.edu 

mehoque@cs.rochester.edu 

 

Systems Group

Friday 2:00 PM

Profs. Criswell, Ding, Nargesian, Pai, Scott, Zhu

{criswell, cding, fnargesi, sree, scott, yzhu} @cs.rochester.edu

 

SKIL

(Seminar on Knowledge, Inference, and Language)

 

Wednesday 5:00 PM

Contact Prof. Schubert for details 

 

Prof. Schubert

schubert@cs.rochester.edu

 

Vision & Learning

 

Friday 10:00 AM, Wegmans 3211

 

Prof. Xu

chenliang.xu@rochester.edu

 

High Performance Computing

Contact Prof. Pai for meeting details

Prof. Pai

sree@cs.rochester.edu

VIStA

(Visual Intelligence and Social Multimedia Analytics)

Wednesday 4:00 PM, Wegmans Hall 3504

Prof. Luo

jluo@cs.rochester.edu

Rochester Security Group

Contact Prof. Criswell for meeting details 

Prof. Criswell

criswell@cs.rochester.edu 

 

Questions? Contact the Professor !

Last Updated 5 October 2022