Supported by Undergraduate Research Awards (URAs), the next generation of AI/ML researchers are making their mark. Over our first 2 years, 14 URAs were granted across Computer Science, Statistics, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, enabling students with hands-on opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge projects.
These students are tackling exciting research challenges, including LLM optimization, kernel methods, continual learning, embodied AI, and human-like attention in vision-language models. By engaging directly with faculty and real research questions, students develop practical skills, deepen their understanding of ML concepts, and gain early exposure to research culture.
URAs help undergraduates build confidence, sharpen problem-solving skills, and get a head start on future graduate studies or careers in AI and machine learning.