Information Sessions for Calit2 UCSD Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarships
By Maureen C. Curran
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San Diego, CA, January 22, 2007 -- The UCSD division of Calit2's Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program will be expanded this year to include more students, as well as higher stipends. The application deadline is March 5.
Two information sessions will be held, the first is Thursday, January 25 at 2:00 PM in the 5th floor open space of Atkinson Hall. The second will be Wednesday, February 14 at 2:00 PM in room 5302 of Atkinson Hall. Interested undergraduates are strongly encouraged to attend one if they have questions about the research program or the application process.
This is the seventh year of the highly successful program. The scholarship is an opportunity for undergraduates to do real research work over the summer and make a contribution.
Students from all academic majors are encouraged to apply. They must be registered undergraduates during spring quarter, 2007, or be incoming for fall quarter, 2007.
Students choose and work with a faculty advisor to develop a research proposal as part of the application process for the 10-week summer program. Research proposals must fit with the mission of Calit2, which means that they should be directed in some manner towards research regarding telecommunications and information technology, as well as how new advances will transform a range of applications important to the economy and citizens' quality of life.
Scholarship awardees will work closely with their faculty advisor as paid, full-time student researchers during the summer of 2007. The scholarship pays the student $5000 over the 10-week period (an increase over past years).
"The summer research program was a fantastic experience for me," says Gunny Lee, now a graduate in computer science. "My advisor and the staff involved with the program gave me the kind of advice and attention that is rare to receive as an undergrad." In 2005, Lee worked with Ingolf Krueger, a Calit2 research scientist and UCSD professor of computer science and engineering and was a co-author on a paper accepted for presentation by the 5th International Workshop on Scenarios and State Machines (SCESM'06), a major meeting in the field.
During the summer, recipients also attend a series of seminars provided by Calit2 regarding research-related career goals. These lunch time sessions are mandatory and cover a variety of topics important to research in all disciplines. Due to strong interest, a session on entrepreneurial endeavors has been included this year. A poster session highlighting each students´ work is held at the end of the summer.
Gia DiNicola, a 2006 Calit2 scholarship recipient, is another student whose summer undergrad scholarship work has received recognition. Her project on developing a Virtual CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) Clinic was nominated for a best poster award (in the overall competition -- not the student competition) at the American College of Medical Informatics Annual Symposium last November.
"There is nothing out there quite like this project," says DiNicola, a political science major. "The website may significantlyimprove the lives of obstructive sleep apnea sufferers." She worked with Carl Stepnowsky, a researcher at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center and Calit2 researchers Paul Blair, Les Lenert (a Calit2 associate director) and Phil Rios.
Additional examples of previous projects are available on Calit2 UCSD's Student Spectrum website. The selection committee, made up of members of the Calit2 UCSD Division Council, expects to have decisions by the end of March. Calit2 UCI also has an undergraduate research summer program, information will be announced later.
"The best thing about the program was the opportunity to work on a research project full time, without the distractions of another job, or classes," says Marika Cabral, a 2005 scholarship awardee and math and economics double major. Working with Silke Januszewski and Ross Starr of the economics department, she examined what effects the expansion of the Internet has had upon price levels and price dispersion of airline tickets.
Related Links
Online Application for 2007
Summer Scholars 2006
Calit2 Student Spectrum
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Calit2 UCSD 2006 Summer Scholars Present Their Work