CS@Mines: Developing Hidden Talents

The goal of our program is to encourage students at the undergraduate level, especially from underrepresented groups, to pursue Computer Science research and apply to graduate programs. It is part of Google’s exploreCSR program, which involves an estimated 50 universities and hundreds of Google engineers. We will recruit undergraduate students in STEM majors at the Sophomore-Junior level, and invite them to participate in workshops and research projects during the Spring 2022 semester. Our objectives are to increase the self-efficacy of participants, their sense of belonging. their computer science and research skills, and their motivation to pursue computing research.

Join our program

We need motivated CS@Mines graduate students to be mentors to undergraduate student participants. At the kickoff meeting in early February, come and present a specific research project for which you need help. Examples might be a data analysis task related to your research, or a visualization of research results, or perhaps help with a user study. Then, after the meeting, we will match graduate student mentors with participants, based on their expressed interests. Mentors will meet regularly with mentees during the spring semester, to guide them on their projects and show them what it is like to do research. In return, mentors will receive a $600 stipend and help with their research project.

The expectations and time commitment for the program is as follows:

• Attend a two-hour mentor training program in January 2023.
• At the kickoff meeting on January 28 (virtual) or February 4 (in-person), present an example research project, and participate in a panel of fellow graduate students to talk about the graduate student experience.
• After the kickoff meeting, meet your mentees at least once each week until the end of the spring semester (meetings should last no more than one hour).
• Each mentor will have at most three mentees.
• Attend a research symposium at the end of April, at which students will present their projects, and celebrate their accomplishments.

Application

Apply by December 1, 2022 for full consideration to be a mentor. Please fill out the application form: CS@Mines Hidden Talent Mentor Application