Computation for Undergraduates in Statistics Program

The CSUMS project, NCSU CUSP, prepares students to engage in a significant research experience, and to be fluent in the languages of computing, mathematics, and statistics. The instructors will provide inquiry-guided learning to train undergraduates in exciting new approaches to problems involving massive datasets or computationally intensive methods.

The program couples extensive coursework in computing for contemporary statistical analysis with a practicum and research lab focusing on an area of application such as drug discovery, pattern recognition, statistical genetics, data assimilation, or financial risk. The practicum and lab will provide scientific background, an overview of statistical and computational approaches, training and feedback on teamwork and communication skills, and a significant mentored research experience.

Faculty members from interdisciplinary teams conducting research in the areas of data mining, geophysical and environmental data assimilation, statistical genetics and bioinformatics, Bayesian hierarchical modeling, financial risk modeling and time series analysis will serve as NCSU CUSP mentors and as co-mentors for students from neighboring Meredith College.

The NCSU CUSP will meet four specific objectives. It

1. prepares students to take advantage of computing advances and make sophisticated computing an integral part of the statistical and mathematical methodology curriculum and research experience;
2. improves students' non-technical skills, including public speaking and written communication, working in teams, and ethical reasoning,
3. provides the research experience to apply initiative and creativity in developing statistical and computing approaches to interdisciplinary scientific problems; and
4. prepares and motivates a diverse pool of highly qualified students to pursue interdisciplinary graduate studies in the mathematical and computational sciences.

Aided by rapid advances in technology, massive amounts of new data are generated daily in many scientific disciplines and the volumes are growing at a rate unprecedented in human history. For the US to remain competitive and innovative, a diverse pool of researchers trained in novel and powerful techniques is critically needed to illustrate, model, and analyze these large-sized, high-dimensional, and nonlinearly-structured data.

Building on resources of one of the country's largest statistics departments, NCSU CUSP becomes one of the first computationally intensive statistics programs for undergraduates in the nation. This project leads to development of new computationally intensive courses and interdisciplinary courses, which will have a long term impact.

The project is also committed at the outset to increasing diversity in the emerging field of computational statistics. NCSU CUSP increases awareness of statistical science among mathematics majors and faculty, fosters greater collaboration between interdisciplinary programs, and encourages a diverse pool of well-prepared students to pursue graduate studies in quantitative sciences. Training in communication skills helps develop graduates who can bring scientific research results to the public and policy makers. NCSU CUSP methods and results are widely publicized to the mathematical science and computational communities through regional and national conferences, participation in workshops, a CUSP website, and published articles.

The project is supported by the MPS Division of Mathematical Sciences, the MPS Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, and the EHR Division of Undergraduate Education.