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\begin{center}
{{\Large \bf               
 Research Experiences for Undergraduates in \\
 \vspace{0.1in}
 High Performance Computing and Communications
}}
\end{center}
 

The Northeast Parallel Architectures Center (NPAC)
at Syracuse University (SU), a proposed site for
a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program,
requests NSF support for twelve (12) 
REU participants per year for a 
three year period, 1995-1997.
This program will involve research in high-performance computing and 
communications (HPCC), and will combine in a coherent way  
the resources available in the following divisions of
Syracuse University:
the Northeast Parallel Architectures Center (NPAC),
the College of Engineering and Computer Science, 
the Department of Physics, and
the Newhouse School of Public Communications.

The research stipends will be awarded to talented and
motivated undergraduate students 
entering their junior and senior years.
At least 8 of the 12 REU participants will be selected from external 
applicants attending other colleges and universities.
A particular effort will be made to attract  women, minorities
and disabled students. 
The proposed REU project is a ten (10) week summer program.
Syracuse University will make a major contribution to the project
of approximately
% ?? please update
\$50,000 
per year. 
We request 
% update ??
\$75,600
in annual support from the National Science Foundation.


The proposed program will be a continuation of the successful REU program 
in computer science and computational physics run by NPAC 
over the past four years.
During those years, the scope of NPAC activities has broadened from 
computer science and computational science to a range of activities 
concerned with the development and application of high-performance 
computing and communications, including applications in industry and 
education, and the study of high-speed network technologies and their 
use in areas such as interactive multimedia communications.
Hence the current proposal is for a more general interdisciplinary
program, with the common focus being high-performance computing and
communications.

Sixteen %??
full-time faculty members from NPAC and various academic departments at
Syracuse University 
have expressed interest in supervising the REU participants.
Most of these faculty have successfully supervised students during
the past four years of the NPAC REU program.
Projects proposed by the faculty members include research in the areas of
parallel computing languages, software and algorithms, 
computational fluid dynamics, 
computational physics, optimization problems, 
computer graphics and virtual reality,   
parallel databases, natural language processing, 
high-speed networking and ATM technologies,
development and application of multimedia technologies such as 
video-on-demand and the World Wide Web, 
and the use of HPCC for education.

 

\newpage

\leftline{ \Large \bf 
Nature of Student Activities 
}

 
\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
Scope of the Program and Proposed Activities
}

This aim of this project is to create an interdisciplinary program of
undergraduate research in high-performance computing and communications
(HPCC). The project reflects NPAC's research interests in the development
and application of parallel and distributed computing, and interdisciplinary
study in the areas of computer science, computational science and 
engineering, and multimedia communications.
NPAC and Syracuse University bring to this program
a unique combination of world-class computational resources;
strong support for, and experience with, interdisciplinary work;
and a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching and research
programs, including hosting an REU site program for the past 4 years.

The program will stress a breadth of interdisciplinary projects, 
however these need to be focussed in a coherent way. 
From our experiences so far with the REU
program, we have found that this works well when the student projects are 
closely integrated with the many collaborative projects in HPCC technologies 
that NPAC has with the various academic departments at Syracuse, 
and this will be our strategy for the program. 
There will be a diverse mixture of projects in the use of HPCC for both 
computational science and engineering, and multimedia communications. 
The research projects in each of these areas will focus on either 
applications or computer science issues.
 
We aim to create a diverse group of student participants, in terms of academic 
major, home academic institution, computing experience, sex, and ethnic/racial 
background. We attempt to foster an environment where the students form a very 
close-knit group.
This group atmosphere allows students to work together and help each other,
with those students having more advanced computing 
skills helping those with a weaker computing background, and with students
sharing ideas and insights from different disciplines.


Our philosophy is that the 10 week REU program should be a real-world 
research experience in miniature. 
This will enhance the participants' understanding of, and interest in,
research and graduate studies.
Students accepted to the program will be provided with information
describing the research areas of the prospective faculty supervisors
and possible research projects, as they would for graduate school.
We start the program with background training in HPCC,
and then the students make the final choice of their research project.
The students prepare a research proposal and give a presentation of their
proposed research, do supervised research work with their advisor, attend
weekly seminars and informal group meetings, write a poster and paper on the
results, and present their work at a workshop at the end of the program. 


\medskip
\noindent
{\bf Training}

The first week of the program provides intensive training in 
high-performance computing and communications.
Some additional training sessions on technical writing, document preparation,
and graphics and visualization are given in the following weeks.
The training sessions are organized as a series of lectures
in the mornings, with guided laboratory exercises on many of the topics  
given in afternoon hands-on lab sessions held in   
a facility with 20 IBM RS/6000 workstations.
In addition, the evenings are devoted to more informal labs where
background tutorials are given on topics such as Unix, text editing, and
programming languages. 
In these labs, students are encouraged to work together; those with more
computing experience share their expertise and help in bringing the other
students up to a knowledge level that allows them to work effectively
on their research project.

The topics for the training sessions in the 1994 program were:
\begin{description}
\parskip=0pt
\item[\qquad] Introduction to Parallel Computing
\item[\qquad] Numerical Methods
\item[\qquad] Data Parallel Programming in Fortran~90
\item[\qquad] Parallel Computer Architectures
\item[\qquad] Mosaic and the World Wide Web
\item[\qquad] Networking and Information Technologies
\item[\qquad] Message-passing Programming
\item[\qquad] High Performance Fortran
\item[\qquad] Scientific Visualization
\end{description}

Additional training sessions were given in the following weeks:
\begin{description}
\parskip=0pt
\item[\qquad] Writing a Research Proposal
\item[\qquad] The Latex publishing system
\item[\qquad] The AVS visualization system
\item[\qquad] Writing a Research Paper
\end{description}

The first week of training is very intensive, but we find that it is
important to get the students started on projects as soon as possible.
The other benefit of the week of intensive activities is that we build
the sense of cameraderie and communication in the group. 

The training lectures are provided primarily by NPAC staff. We also have
a graduate assistant for the program who presents the evening lab sessions.
The training in technical writing is provided by a member of the faculty in 
the Writing Program of the School of Arts and Sciences. 


\medskip
\noindent
{\bf Research}

During the selection process, we try to choose students whose interests
and background appear to match well with available research projects.
We recommend these projects to the appropriate students, however the
students are free to choose from any of the available projects. 

On the afternoon of the first day of the program,
potential mentors briefly describe their research interests.
This session is followed immediately by a social event, during which
participants and faculty get to know one another and interact individually
to ask questions and explore mutual interests.
During the first 2 weeks of the program, time is allocated for students
to talk to the research advisors about the various projects, with the
final choices being made by the end of the second week.

The research advisors try to keep the scientific and computational
scope of the research project simple, yet meaningful.
A strong effort is made to provide challenging problems that
are not beyond the participant's background and grasp, and for which 
useful results can be obtained within the 10 week summer program. 
Students participate in a research project under the 
supervision of one of the research advisors.
Sustained personal guidance is given to the students by their supervisors
to ensure that each of the participants feels confident to conduct their
research project.

We also hold informal weekly research update meetings, in which students
comment on their progress, discuss problems, and make suggestions.  
Administrative issues are also addressed.
Students can also make effective use of an email alias provided for the
group in seeking solutions to problems.

Students have unlimited access to NPAC's computing facilities for both
their research projects and the training sessions. 
When the students arrive, they are given computer accounts for NPAC's 
facilities and also for the main campus computing center, so that all of 
Syracuse University's computer clusters are available for their use.  
In addition, we designate a number of workstations in the NPAC graduate 
student office areas for the shared use of the REU students.  
This area is adjacent to the NPAC senior staff offices and the NPAC library
resources. This is helpful in integrating the students into the department,
and getting them to interact with NPAC staff and graduate students.


\medskip
\noindent
{\bf Seminars}
 
A weekly seminar on a range of relevant topics is given by 
faculty members from various disciplines. 
In past years, seminar topics have included chaotic systems, computational
fluid dynamics, Monte Carlo simulation, computational geometry, genetic
algorithms, neural networks, image processing, virtual computing
environments, virtual reality, weather prediction, telemedicine,
and industrial applications of HPCC.

One of the topics addressed concerns the ethical issues raised as 
communications increasingly becomes computer-generated and computer-mediated.
The talk, by Prof.\ Joan Deppa of the Newhouse School of Public 
Communications, includes recent mass media examples as well as
looking at issues that may arise with computing technology of
the future.


\medskip
\noindent
{\bf Presentations}
 
After the students have decided on their research project and had some time to 
become familiar with the work that is required, they write a short
proposal and give a presentation on their proposed research for the summer.

In the last week of the program
we organize a three-day workshop in which all the students give half-hour 
presentations on the work they have accomplished in the program.
This is done as a combined presentation with students from the 
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering REU program at Syracuse University. 
The research advisors provide assistance and advice in the preparation
of the presentations.
Research advisors, graduate students and other faculty members attend 
the workshop and give constructive feedback on the students' talks.

The students also create ``electronic posters'' presenting an overview
of their work, which are accessible from the NPAC World Wide Web server.


\medskip
\noindent
{\bf Papers}
 
During the last week of the program the students prepare a final report
on their individual projects, with help from their research advisors.
These papers are published in the 
{\it Journal of Undergraduate Research in High-Performance Computing},
which is made freely available as an NPAC technical report.
Some of the papers may also be submitted to undergraduate research journals.
Some research work may lead to papers being submitted for
publication in appropriate technical journals, particularly if the student
chooses to continue the work during the following academic year, for example
as an honors project or senior thesis.

Apart from being provided with classes on technical writing, the students
each have a one-on-one session where the writing instructor reviews their
draft papers and suggests improvements in style and clarity. 



\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
Evaluation of the Program 
}

A variety of information is collected to facilitate evaluation of
the program.  Evaluation forms are distributed to students at the 
at the end of the second week (after the training program) and at the end 
of the program.  Participants are also asked to submit a final written
evaluation in the form of a personal letter to Professor Fox.  
Faculty mentors also provide comments about the program.  
Additional items used in
the evaluation of the program include the materials produced by the 
participants: their proposals, posters, presentations, and final reports.

As a result of this feedback, we believe we have been able to improve
the program every year.
The overall evaluations of the program by the students have been
overwhelmingly positive. 
 

\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
Plans for Post Participation Activities 
}

Students are encouraged to continue their research at their home institution
during the academic year following their participation.
Their computer accounts and access to NPAC facilities are continued
for a year after the completion of the program, and longer if requested.
Many of the students continue working in the area of their research 
project as a senior honors thesis at their home institution, with external
students staying in touch with their REU advisors via electronic mail.



\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
Faculty Supervisors
}

Prof.\ Geoffrey Fox is to serve as the director of the proposed REU
project.
He has served in a similar project at 
the California Institute of Technology
 between the years
1985-1990, 
and as director of the NPAC REU program for 1991-1994.

Prof.\ Nancy McCracken and Dr Paul Coddington will also be involved in 
the organization and running of the program. 
They have both been actively involved in co-ordination,
administration, teaching, and research activities for the NPAC REU program 
over the past four years.
 
Sixteen %??
faculty members from NPAC,
the College of Engineering and Computer Science, 
the Department of Physics, and
the Newhouse School of Public Communications
will be available to devote the needed time and effort to 
guide and supervise the research efforts of the REU participants.
Almost all of these faculty members have been involved in supervising
undergraduate research in previous REU programs, and in some cases 
in undergradate research programs at other institutions.
Biographical sketches outlining the academic and research backgrounds 
of some of the participating faculty members are appended to this proposal. 
Salaries for research advisors will not be included in the NSF budget request.


\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large  \bf 
Suggested Research Projects
}

Faculty advisors have proposed a broad spectrum of possible undergraduate
projects, including research in the areas of
parallel computing languages, software and algorithms, 
computational fluid dynamics, 
computational physics, optimization problems, 
computer graphics and virtual reality,   
parallel databases, natural language processing, 
high-speed networking and ATM technologies,
development and application of multimedia technologies such as 
video-on-demand and the World Wide Web, 
and the use of HPCC for education.

Based on our prior experience with past projects, the capabilities of the 
students, and the time constraints involved in a summer program,
examples of possible undergraduate research projects are listed below.
Some of these are continuations of projects from previous years, others
are new projects.

\begin{description}

\item[\bf High Performance Fortran Application Kernels ] \quad \\
NPAC is one of the institutions leading the development of High Performance 
Fortran (HPF), a superset of Fortran~90 that is portable between any computer
architecture.  
The student will work on a subset of a large project to create exemplar
program kernels in High Performance Fortran for a wide range of applications,
in order to test the suitability of the language and the performance of 
HPF compilers under development.
The application area can be contingent on the student's background and 
interests. This project would provide good experience in writing parallel
programs.

\item[\bf Interactive Multimedia Information Systems] \quad \\
This project will experiment with new forms of interactive multimedia in
networked information systems with links to the Internet. The on-campus
portion may involve video-on-demand, as well as system design and complex
graphics. The work will be based on Orange Source, an on-line service
created by Syracuse students which also serves as a test bed for advanced 
multimedia applications. 

\item[\bf Optimization using Simulated Annealing and Tempering] \quad \\
Simulated annealing is a very powerful and general optimization 
technique. This project involves working on improving simulated annealing
by using ideas from statistical mechanics, including a novel technique known
as simulated tempering.

\item[\bf Testing Parallel Random Number Generators ] \quad \\
Random number generators are widely used in computer simulation,
but high quality generators with good randomness properties are
hard to find, as are good tests for randomness. This is especially
true for parallel computers, where the random numbers on different 
processors can be correlated.
This project will develop a suite of programs for testing the randomness
properties of parallel random number generators, including Monte Carlo
and statistical tests.

\item[\bf Parallel Algorithms for Computational Physics Simulations ] \quad \\
Students will work on the development of parallel programs and algorithms 
in an area of computational physics. Possible application areas include 
disordered systems in condensed matter physics, spin models of magnetism,
numerical relativity, and random surface models of quantum gravity.

\item[\bf  Natural Language Text Retrieval ] \quad \\
The DR-LINK system provides intelligent text retrieval by using natural
language processing to find linguistic characteristics of the query and
use them in retrieving text.  This approach requires more processing power
than traditional methods based on word matching and high performance 
computing may help achieve good performance.  A student working in this
area would help port the text retrieval system to the IBM SP2 from its
current workstation base or participate in ongoing research in detecting
meaningful linguistic characteristics through natural language processing
(or both). 

\item[\bf Data Mining] \quad \\
Investigate methods for searching for data on a specific subject using
the Internet, in particular new ideas such as intelligent agents or
``knowbots''. Also of interest are methods for caching parts of the 
World Wide Web to allow for fast searching and local retrieval.

\item[\bf The Living Textbook ] \quad \\
The Living Textbook Project is a joint project between NPAC, the
School of Education, NYNEX, and Columbia University to define how new
communication technologies will enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
Several pilot projects will design multimedia educational applications and 
tools appropriate for high-speed computing and communications networks.  
One possible student project is interfacing interactive simulations 
of various natural phenomena such as storms with interactive learning modules
describing the phenomena. Another is working on Kid's Web, a World Wide Web
digital library designed for schoolchildren. 

\item[\bf ASKERIC - Access to Educational Resources Digital Library] \quad \\
AskERIC is a project at Syracuse University to provide educators with
easy access to the national
Educational Resources Information Clearinghouse (ERIC). ERIC is beginning
the transition towards digitized information, and this project will look
into the issues involved in storing educational materials in a digital
library and accessing them across a network. These include document format,
compression, database searching, the user interface, and what can be
achieved with currently available hardware.

\item[\bf Computer-Aided Instruction Using Mosaic] \quad \\
Develop hypertext modules for computer-assisted instruction of an
undergraduate class (such as calculus) using Mosaic.

\item[\bf  Parallel Rendering Algorithms] \quad \\
Work on a parallel rendering program designed to produce real-time 
three dimensional graphics. One of the applications of this
program is to combine and display digital elevation and satellite image data
to construct realistic 3-D images of terrain in order to simulate an 
interactive flight over New York state or Mars. 

\item[\bf Virtual Reality ] \quad \\
Install and investigate available public domain VR packages and 
develop demonstrations using these systems.

\item[\bf Parallel Methods for Computational Fluid Dynamics ] \quad \\
This project involves the evaluation of different solution
schemes for computational fluid dynamics.  The REU participant will
modify an existing simulation program for supersonic mixing
layers to evaluate effects of alternate approximation schemes.

\item[\bf    Visualization of Unsteady Flows ] \quad \\
The purpose of this project is to develop an environment for the
visualization of unsteady fluid flow simulations.  Input data will
be obtained from existing codes.  The REU participant will learn to use
visualization software and prepare modules for visualizing instantaneous
flow fields and animating sequences of images.

\item[\bf  Video Database Browsing/Indexing ] \quad \\
This involves the use of state-of-the-art speech recognition software to 
produce automatic indexing into a video database based on its audio content,
with either text or audio keyword input from the user.

\item[\bf Parallel Graph Partitioning Algorithms] \quad \\
Optimization and performance evaluation of different parallel graph 
partitioning algorithms on the CM-5.

\item[\bf Application for the Virtual Computing Environment ] \quad \\
A network of supercomputers and high-performance workstations appears to be
a cost-effective approach to provide adequate computing resources for the
Grand National Challenge problems. Such a collection of computers and
supporting software environment is called a Virtual Computing Environment.
This project will involve development of an application that can
utilize dynamically the computing resources of different parallel
computers available at NPAC.


\end{description}




\newpage

\leftline{\Large \bf 
The Research Environment 
}


\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
Syracuse University 
}


Syracuse University is one of the largest private universities in
the United States.
It is located in the center of New York State, a
short distance from some of the state's most spectacular scenic
areas.
Its twelve colleges provide more than 200 different programs
of study that lead to degrees in
arts and sciences,
architecture,
computer science,
education, engineering,
human development,
information studies,
management, nursing, public communications, social work and visual
and performing arts.

Syracuse University has about 12,000 undergraduate students,
2,130 full time and 2,340 part time graduate students,
and 900 full-time faculty.
The activities at Syracuse    
University takes place in more than 324 buildings
on its extended campus of 900 acres.



\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
The Northeast Parallel Architectures Center 
}

The Northeast Parallel Architectures Center (NPAC) will run the 
REU program and provide computing, administrative and technical support.  
%
NPAC was established in 1987 to foster
research and training in high-performance computing technologies.
NPAC is a member of the Center for Research in Parallel Computation
(CRPC), an NSF Science and Technology Center.
Professor Geoffrey C.\ Fox, a pioneer in the development and application
of parallel-architecture computers, joined NPAC as its Director in 1990.
Professor Fox has established an ambitious program that includes basic
research, industrial applications, and educational opportunities
for undergraduate and graduate students.  As part of this initiative,
NPAC has conducted a summer REU program annually since 1991.

NPAC has world-class facilities, with leading-edge high-performance 
computers and high-speed networking technologies.
These include
a 32 node Connection Machine model CM-5 with vector units, 
a 16 node IBM SP2 with a high-speed switch
and 192 Mbytes of RAM and 9 Gbytes of disk per node,  
an 8 processor IBM RS/6000 cluster connected by an Allnode switch,
a 64 node nCUBE2 with 200 Gbytes 
of associated disk accessed by a parallel I/O system,
an 8 node DEC Alpha workstation cluster connected by a Gigaswitch FDDI network,
a 16 node Intel iPSC860,
two DECmpp 1200 massively parallel SIMD machines with
8K and 16K processors respectively,
Sun and Silicon Graphics workstations with real-time digital video capability, 
Macintosh computers with multimedia capability and peripherals such as
color scanners and an Apple QuickTake digital camera, 
and an SGI Challenge hosting a FORE ATM switch 
connected to NYNet, a prototype Gigabit optical fiber network connecting 
NPAC, Cornell University, and Rome Laboratory. 
NYNet will soon be extended to four high schools in the Syracuse school
district.

As in previous years, NPAC's staff will provide a week of training in
high-performance computing and communications, and particularly parallel 
computing, for the students at the start of the REU program.
A workstation laboratory consisting of twenty IBM RS/6000 workstations is 
used for hands-on training and research for the program. 
These and other workstations at NPAC and Syracuse University 
are also available for research work.

The facilities at NPAC, which are valued at over \$10 million, 
will be provided for the use of the REU students at no cost to this proposal.
The students are invariably very excited to be allowed access to these
world-class facilities, particularly since many of them are from small 
schools which do not have any high-performance computers.
 


NPAC is actively involved in a wide range of interdisciplinary collaborative
research projects involving many departments at Syracuse University, including
the School of Computer and Information Science (CIS), 
the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 
the School of Information Studies, 
the Department of Physics, 
the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
the Newhouse School of Public Communications, 
the School of Education, 
and the Center of Computer Applications and Software Engineering.
These programs build on the experiences of NPAC's director, Geoffrey Fox,
at Caltech, where he led the 
Caltech Concurrent Computation Program, which pioneered an interdisciplinary
approach to high-performance computing with close coupling between physics, 
computer science and other scientific application areas.

The center and the faculty members involved also have a strong commitment
to developing new educational programs in computational science.  A group
of such faculty, the Computational Science Faculty, have developed new
courses and degree programs, which are administered in CIS.  At the
undergraduate level, a minor in computational science includes new
courses in computational science, scientific programming and computational
science projects.  At the graduate level, students can take courses in
computational science, applied math, computer science and an application
project to get a Certificate in Computational Science or take the newly
accredited Master's Degree in Computational Science.



\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
School of Public Communications
}

The Newhouse School of Public Communications operates in one of the world's 
most complete centers for the study of mass communications. The two-building
S.I. Newhouse Communications Center is fully equipped with computer
facilities, photography laboratories, and television and audio studios and
equipment. The Newhouse School is one of the most prestigious departments 
in its field, attracting outstanding students.

The Newhouse School has been involved in interactive
telecommunications and multimedia since 1985. A group of its students
founded Orange Source, which provides an on-line information service to
students through the campus computer clusters and kiosks in the Schine
Student Center and in some dormitories. Orange Source also serves as a test
bed for new interactive multimedia applications.


\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf Results from Prior NSF Support
}
For the past four years NPAC has hosted an REU Site program entitled 
``Undergraduate Research in Computer Science and Computational Physics'',
under two NSF grants:  
Grant No. CDA-9100833 (\$35,720 for 1991) and 
Grant No. CDA-9200577 (\$46,000 per year for 1992-94).
This developed into a somewhat broader interdisciplinary 
program encompassing applications of high-performance computing in 
computational science and engineering.
During this time the NPAC REU program hosted a total of
55 undergraduate students,
with 30 faculty 
advisors from a number of different academic departments participating. 
A total of 44 students were supported by the NSF REU grants
(8 in the first year, 12 in each of the three subsequent years),
and 11 students were supported by other funding.

The students studied a variety of problems in computer science and
computational science and engineering, using NPAC's computer facilities to 
study or develop software and to perform simulations.
They wrote research papers which have been compiled and 
published in the 
{\it Journal of Undergraduate Research in High-Performance Computing},
Volumes 1 to 4.
The journal is available from NPAC at no cost, either by requesting a
hardcopy or downloading an electronic version of the journal (or the 
individual papers) from the NPAC World Wide Web or ftp servers.
The papers and the accompanying seminar presentations of their work given 
by the students were were generally of a very high standard. 

In previous years, the participants were asked to make a poster describing
their project. These were prominently displayed at NPAC, as well as at
meetings and conferences such as Supercomputing '93, 
which was attended by two of the 1993 NPAC REU students.
For the 1994 program, each student made an ``electronic poster''
describing their work, using the hypermedia capabilities of the World
Wide Web (WWW). These electronic hypertext posters can be accessed 
through the NPAC WWW server by anyone
on the Internet with a Web browser such as NCSA Mosaic. 
The students 
also created their own ``home pages'', and we created a home page for 
the 1994 NPAC REU program with links to information on the program,
the student home pages, project posters, abstracts and papers.
The Web address or URL of the NPAC REU home page is 
{\tt http://www.npac.syr.edu/REU/reu94/reuhomepage.html}

The goal of the REU program is to encourage students to undertake research
careers in mathematics, science and engineering.
Probably the best measure of the success of our program comes from the 
overwhelmingly positive
evaluations of the students, who are invariably extremely grateful
for the opportunity for research experience allowed by the REU program, 
and enthusiastic about continuing their studies after this experience. 
In many cases the students began the program not knowing what research 
entailed or whether they wanted to attend graduate school, 
and have become very excited by their research work and now hope to
enter graduate school and pursue research careers.
Those students who were already planning to attend grad school generally
expressed the view that they had received valuable insight into how 
research was conducted, that had strengthened their desire to pursue this goal.
Note that while the great majority of these students go on to attend graduate
school, only a small number (around 10\%) of them pursue their graduate 
studies at Syracuse. In this sense, the NPAC REU program is providing a 
service of broad national significance.
 
Here are just a few examples of comments made by NPAC REU students 
in their evaluation letters:
%
\begin{quotation}
\tenrm
%
\noindent 
``The opportunity to get involved in an actual research project\dots has 
helped me to solidify my desires to continue my education.'' 
(Michael Harry, 1992, 
now a graduate student in computer science working at NPAC)

\medskip
\noindent
``Before I was a member of the REU Program, I had planned on looking
for a job after graduation. \dots  Another result of the REU program
is an increased confidence in my academic ability.  Because of the credentials
the REU Program has given me, I have made graduate school a top priority
and have decided to apply to the best applied math schools in the country,
schools I never dreamed of attending but now consider within my reach.''
(Thomas Rose, 1992)

\medskip
\noindent
``\dots I came to this program with very little knowledge of computers
and perhaps even a little fear of them.  This summer I walk away with
a lot of learning under my belt as well as a new found confidence in
computing.  I have now decided that I want my career to center on the
computer aspect of engineering.'' (Jennifer Rubbo, 1992,
now a graduate student in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at 
Syracuse University)

\medskip
\noindent
``The students in the program worked in a microcosm of what I perceive
to be the life of a researcher.  This had two main effects.  First of
all, it gave us occupational training, i.e. we are that much closer
to being professional scientists.  \ldots  Second, I believe
that the REU helped many students shape their goals for their futures.''
(Thomas Willis, 1992, 
now a graduate student in mathematics at Syracuse University)

\medskip
\noindent
``My experience at Syracuse was incredible.  The training sessions in
parallel computing, the different talks and seminars presented, my project
and the close interaction with my advisors have influenced my career path.
\ldots Because of my experience at the Northeast Parallel Architectures
Center, I [have] decided to attend graduate school and focus on parallel
computational fluid dynamics.''  
(Mario Campuzano, 1993, now a graduate student
in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Syracuse University)

\medskip
\noindent
``I found that this project and the extensive training program provided
a firm and working foundation in parallel computing and the general
skills needed in the realm of the scientist.  This project solidified
my interests in continuing towards more advanced degrees in the sciences.''
(Christopher Martin, 1993)

\medskip
\noindent
``\ldots I will continue work on the research project at FSU during
the coming year which will result in an honors thesis \ldots I am, moreover,
quite determined to pursue a graduate degree in computational science.''
(Matthew Shore, 1993)

\medskip
\noindent
``When I started this REU, I had absolutely no research experience\dots
The REU exposed me to research in the cutting edge of computer science, 
and has influenced me in my decision to pursue graduate studies in the 
future.''
(Pat Angeles, 1994)

\medskip
\noindent
``I think it is safe to say that it has greatly helped the 
careers and learning experience of everybody involved \ldots''
(Jay Hui, 1994)

\medskip
\noindent
``I have learned a great deal, and the program has dramatically changed 
my life. I came the the program a `shy' and `dependent' individual,
but after the program, I am more confident about myself and the decisions
that I am about to make in the future. \dots
Before the program, I was undecided about graduate school. However I am 
very confident that I will be attending graduate school after my senior
year.''
(Trang Tran, 1994)

\medskip
\noindent
``The people both in the program and running it were a great group. \ldots
Thank you again for the opportunity that this summer has given me.
I hope you will continue to provide college students with such
opportunities for growth and learning.''
(Michelle Williams, 1994)

\end{quotation}



Some of the research performed by NPAC REU students has led to 
scientific publications, as listed below (the students are identified
by asterisks). 
There are at least 7
additional journal papers based on REU research work in preparation.

\begin{enumerate}

\item
T.J.~Willis$^*$ and E.A.~Bogucz,
``Coupling Symbolic Processing with Parallel Numeric Computation,''
{\it Proceedings of the 6th SIAM Conference on Parallel Processing for
Scientific Computing},  
edited by R.F.~Sincovec {\it et al.},
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics,
Philadelphia, 1993, pp. 788-792.

\item 
Y.S.~Han, C.R.P.~Hartmann, and C.-C.~Chen$^*$,
``Efficient Priority-First Search Maximum-Likelihood Soft-Decision Decoding 
of Linear Block Codes,''
{\it IEEE Transactions on Information Theory}, {\bf 39}, 1514 (1993).

\item 
Y.S.~Han, C.R.P.~Hartmann, and C.-C.~Chen$^*$,
``Efficient Maximum-Likelihood Soft-Decision Decoding of Linear
Block Codes Using Algorithm A$^*$,''
{\it Proceedings of the 9th IEEE International Symposium on Information
Theory}, San Antonio, 1993.

\item 
Y.S.~Han, C.R.P.~Hartmann, and C.-C.~Chen$^*$,
``Efficient Maximum-Likelihood Soft-Decision Decoding of Linear
Block Codes Using Algorithm A$^*$,''
{\it Proceedings of the Sixth National Conference on
Undergraduate Research}, Minneapolis, 1992.

\item
D.~Han, D.C.~Melcher$^*$, E.A.~Schiff, and M.~Silver, ``Optical
bias effects in electron-drift measurements and defect relaxation in
a-Si:H,'' {\it Phys. Rev.} {\bf B 48}, 8658 (1993).

\item
E.A.~Schiff, H.M.~Branz, D.~Han, D.C.~Melcher$^*$, and M.~Silver,
``Photocarrier drift and recombination in a-Si:H:  The vital importance of
defect relaxation,'' {\it J. Non-crystalline Solids}, 
{\bf 164-166}, 331 (1993).

\item
T.~Rose$^*$,  P.~Coddington and E.~Marinari, 
``Evaluation of Simulated Tempering for Optimization Problems'',
{\it Proceedings of the Seventh National Conference on
Undergraduate Research}, 
Salt Lake City, 1993.

\item
N.~LaFontaine$^*$ and N.~McCracken, 
``MIMD Implementation of Advanced Regional Prediction System'',
{\it Proceedings of the Seventh National Conference on
Undergraduate Research}, 
Salt Lake City, 1993.

\item
M.~Harry$^*$, D.~Shiau and C.~Hartmann, 
``An Efficient Parallel Implementation of SIMPLE'',
{\it Proceedings of the Seventh National Conference on
Undergraduate Research}, 
Salt Lake City, 1993.

\item
David~G.~Solt,~Jr.$^*$,  ``A Parallel Approach to Finding Maximum Planar
Subgraphs,'' {\it Proceedings of the Sixth National Conference on
Undergraduate Research}, Minneapolis, 1992.


\end{enumerate}




\newpage

\leftline{\Large \bf 
Student Participants 
}


\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
Selection Procedure and Expected Profile of REU Participants 
}


One of our goals in selecting participants for the REU program 
is to create a diverse group of students, in terms of academic 
major, home academic institution, computing experience, sex, and
ethnic/racial background. 
Participants are specifically selected to represent a range of academic
disciplines and prior computing experience, as is typical of
cross-disciplinary research projects in high-performance computing and 
communications.
Roughly half of the previous students in the program were majoring in 
computer science or computer engineering, while the rest included majors in 
physics, mathematics, engineering (mechanical, aerospace and bioengineering),
visual arts, economics, and media communications. 

We have found that students with more advanced computer science backgrounds 
will help others in learning about computing, while
students with science and engineering backgrounds can help computer 
scientists learn about applications of HPCC. 
Students can exchange ideas and insight from different perspectives. 
The advantages of this approach are expressed in the following excerpt 
from an evaluation of the program written by one of the NPAC REU students:

\begin{quotation}
\tenrm
``One of the most unique aspects of the program was the ability
to live and work with a group of students that seem brighter and
more energetic than the typical student body at any university.
For a mathematician, it's very valuable to discuss a mathematical
problem, say, in terms of fluid dynamics with an engineer, and then
to walk down the hall and discuss the concept in terms of quantum
field theory with a physicist.  Of course, when I sat down to write
the code, I could peek over the cubicle divider and discuss the theory
of parse-trees and hash tables with a computer scientist.  Even if you
disregard the project advisors, the NPAC REU qualifies, in my book,
as a high-calibre think tank.''  
\end{quotation}

At least eight of the twelve participants supported by the NSF 
will be selected from academic institutions other than Syracuse University. 
We particularly target students from smaller schools who would otherwise
not have access to high-performance computers, and are therefore
extremely excited to be able to use the state-of-the-art facilities at NPAC.
Also, some smaller schools do not have relevant graduate programs, so the
students could otherwise not easily find out about research in their fields 
of interest.  

On the basis of past experience we expect the greatest response from
prospective participants in the Northeast region of the United States,
so we target individual schools in this region.
We have identified over one hundred appropriate institutions in this region.
During the previous four years our program has attracted students from many
diverse institutions in the Northeast, ranging from small schools such as 
Clarkson University, Eckerd College, St Bonaventure University, 
Bryn Mawr College, and St Michael's College,
to larger universities including
Boston University, Harvard, MIT, The Johns Hopkins University, 
University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology,
University of Pennsylvania,
and SUNY Buffalo.

We also advertise the program nationally, 
which has resulted in the recruitment of students from 
Davidson College, Oberlin College, Auburn University, 
Rice University, Texas A\&M, University of San Diego,
University of Texas of the Permian Basin, University of Washington,
University of San Francisco, University of Missouri, 
and Florida State University. 


A special effort is made to select qualified women, minority
and disabled participants. In our recruitment advertising, we strongly
encourage applications from these groups.
% We plan to contact ??? 
In the past three years of the NPAC REU program, we have had 13 women and 8 
under-represented minority students out of a total of 44 participants. 
For example, in the most recent (1994) program, 
5 of the 12 NSF REU students were women and 2 were from under-represented
groups. We had received an acceptance from another minority student, 
but he was forced to withdraw at the last minute due to health problems.
Two additional female students in the 1994 NPAC program were supported by
the General Electric Foundation Faculty for the Future Program, 
a program for Syracuse 
University students that sponsors summer undergraduate research for 
minorities and women in the sciences and engineering, providing an excellent 
complement to the NSF REU program.
NSF REU programs at Syracuse University have helped the university to be 
selected for this award from the General Electric Foundation.
For the past three years the award has provided NPAC with two or three 
fellowships each year, and we expect this level of support to be continued 
in future years.


\vspace{0.3in}
\leftline{\large \bf 
Recruitment Plan
}

The program is advertised in four ways.  
First, a poster, information packet, and application materials 
is mailed to engineering, computer science, and physics departments 
at 45 schools throughout the Northeast. 
Second, announcements of the program are posted electronically to 
relevant bulletin boards and news groups, and made available   
via the NPAC WWW server. 
Third, information is distributed at appropriate conferences
and meetings. 
Fourth, information about the program is distributed 
widely within Syracuse University, with special efforts made 
to bring the program to the attention of women and members 
of under-represented groups through announcements in the classroom 
and by individual recruiting of well-qualified candidates by faculty 
members.


The advertising brochure includes information about the objectives of
the program, as well as details such as the stipends, room and board,
and duration of the program.
A short description of the research areas pursued by the faculty supervisors
involved, and some typical research projects, is included.
Previous students have requested that they be given as much information 
as possible before the start of the program.
We therefore plan to set up a WWW home page
for the program before it has even begun, so students from across the 
country can access information about NPAC, the REU program, and the 
available research projects before they come to Syracuse. 

Each applicant is asked to provide a curriculum vitae, 
two letters of recommendation, academic transcripts, and a short essay on
why they wish to participate in the program.
Students are selected by the project director and a panel of faculty
members, taking into account the various goals stated above, and trying to
achieve the best possible match between the students' interests and the 
available projects being offered. 
Preference is given to students entering their junior and senior years.

In the first year of our program, we received about 40 applications.
The number of applicants has risen steadily in 
subsequent years, due to increased advertising and word-of-mouth,
with past participants in the program recommending it to their fellow
students.
For the 1994 program we received about 100 applications, 
with 80 from external students, 
for only 12 positions. 
The quality of the 1994 applicants was extremely high, 
and the selection process correspondingly difficult. 
At least half of the applicants were outstanding, highly qualified students
who were very enthusiastic about the program.


\end{document}



 
