Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI)

An NSF National INCLUDES Alliance

CAHSI was established in 2006 with National Science Foundation (NSF) Broadening Participation in Computing funding to address the low representation of Hispanics in computing in both higher education and the workforce. In 2018, CAHSI received funding from the NSF, one of only five in the inaugural year to be designated as a National INCLUDES (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discovers in Engineering and Science) alliance.

The University of Houston is proud to be a CAHSI institution. Visit the CAHSI website to learn more about the program.

CAHSI Local Research Experience for Undergraduates (LREU) @ UH

Undergraduate research experiences are important for building students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in the computing field. The CAHSI Local Research Experiences for Undergraduates (LREU) program engages students and faculty at their home institutions in impactful and meaningful research projects that develop solutions to real-world problems.

The CAHSI Local REU seeks to excite African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American (AHN) and female students about computing graduate studies and provide them with the research experiences critical for graduate studies. CAHSI institutions are working together to raise the low number and share of AHN and female students who enter and complete graduate programs in computing fields, which are among the least diverse science disciplines.

Through CAHSI we are able to provide paid opporunities for select undergraduates to engage in research projects. Participating in the CAHSI REU program is a great way for students to:

• gain skills outside of the classroom and expand the applicability of what you learn in your coursework to solve challenging problems
• earn a stipend and learn about research
• pursue research in an area that interests you and set flexible hours that do not interfere with your coursework
• connect with other researchers and students pursuing REU both at UH and other universities
• gain experience that sets you apart from others when applying to graduate school or first job after graduation

Possible Research Areas:

• Data Visualization
• Computer Vision
• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Big Data

Eligibility and Requirements:

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Undergraduate student who has completed coursework beyond Data Structures
• A cumulative GPA of at least 2.8 is preferred, but not required. Students with less than 2.8 are encouraged to apply and explain any extenuating circumstances that may have impacted their performance.
• Not be employed for more than 10 hours per week in any another position while in the LREU program
• Conduct research for the full length of the LREU (10-14 weeks determined at the start of the REU) and commit to work the number of hours agreed upon (10-20 hours). The mentee and the mentor should be flexible regarding work hours to accommodate the student’s course workload with the intention that the student will have met the hours required by the end of the LREU. Workload expectations must be articulated at the beginning of the LREU.
• Attend weekly meetings with assigned faculty mentor.
• Engage in professional development activities, hosted by CAHSI or faculty mentor. For example, creating an elevator pitch, submitting probing questions, or attending a GRFP workshop.
• Make weekly entries in a research journal.
• Prepare and submit a research poster. The poster will go through several iterations of feedback and edits.
• Present the research poster at the GMiS Conference if the student is still enrolled during the semester when the conference is held (fall semester).

For any updates to the eligiblity and requirements, please visit https://cahsi.utep.edu/local-reu

Application Period:

Tuesday, November 28, 2023 (opens) - Monday, January 8, 2024 (closes)

How to Apply:

If you are interested in get started in research, we invite you to apply to join the research team!

• Online Application - complete the online application and upload the following:
  1. Resume
  2. Unofficial Transcript (download from your myUH Student Center)
  3. Personal, Research, and Needs Statements (download PDF and complete the PDF)

Contact:

If you have questions, please contact the UH CAHSI representative, Dr. Shishir Shah at sshah@central.uh.edu