Undergraduate Research with R. Weiss

Rigorous quantitative and qualitative research is an important component of academic learning in Computer Science. This independent learning opportunity is designed to allow advanced students to delve into real-world research with faculty who are currently engaged in specific projects. The program will help students develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, written and oral communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills—all of which are of particular value for students who are pursuing a graduate degree, as well as for graduates who are already in the job market.

Richard Weiss conducts research in cybersecurity education. His current project EDURange is a collection of cybersecurity exercises and a framework for creating them. This project was begun in 2011, and the focus in the last 2 years has been on developing a hint system based on machine learning/AI. The current system learns when students would be ready for a hint, and it generates a list of possible hints based on what the student's past actions and what the student is most likely trying to achieve. There are research opportunities for students interested in applied machine learning, LLMs and SLMs, and building user interfaces and complex Web Applications.