The altREU program on “Computational Modeling Serving Your Community” is an alternative, fully online, project-based Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). For more information about the program see the altREU site.
The focus area of our Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site is computational modeling to serve and enhance the Portland metropolitan region as it grows and evolves. Students will be involved in cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary research projects and trained in computational thinking across different disciplines and communities. In doing so, they will gain an understanding of the potential and limits of these tools and how they can serve diverse urban communities. Portland State University (PSU), with its newly-funded Portland Institute for Computational Science (PICS), has developed a reputation as a national model for urban universities that enhance their region by working with partners to solve problems. The activities of our REU site will involve a 2-week training to teach students the foundations of computational modeling, followed by an 8-week research project completed in a research lab under a mentor’s guidance and with the involvement of a community partner. The community-oriented aspect is aligned with PSU’s motto “Let knowledge serve the city."