I&C Sci (ICS) H197 — Honors Seminar — Fall 2016

 

Please see also the ICS Honors Program Website.

 


Jump to section:

            Current Announcements

            Place, Time, Instructor, Counselor

            Weekly ICS-90 Faculty Research Lectures

          Goal

          Class Setup

          ICS H198 Honors Research and Final Honors Report

          For Campuswide Honors Program (CHP) Students

          Recommended books

          Syllabus

                   Week 1

                   Week 2

                   Week 3

                   Week 4

                   Week 5

                   Week 6

                   Week 7

                   Week 8

                   Week 9

                   Week 10

           


Current Announcements:

 

o   Dr. Lathrop’s office hours for Wed., 23 Nov., are canceled due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.

o   Please review the video link to the ICS Faculty Panel on Improving Your Grad School Application. If you were unable to attend due to a time conflict you are obliged to watch the video, even if you currently do not plan to attend graduate school.  If you later change your mind after you learn more about your career, you will need to know this stuff.

o   REMINDER: ICS Faculty Panel on Improving Your Grad School Application, Week 6, noon-1:50pm, Tuesday, 1 Nov., in DBH-6011. [PPT announcement here.]

o   Due to schedule conflicts and the need to avoid ICS Faculty Meetings, the ICS Faculty Panel on Improving Your Grad School Application has been rescheduled to Week 6, noon-1:50pm, Tuesday, 1 Nov., in DBH-6011.  Accordingly, presentations by Profs. Hernando Ombao and Yunan Chen have been advanced to Week 4 and Week 5, respectively.  Students with a schedule time conflict are obliged to watch the video, which will be posted later in the quarter. Please, consider carefully the US Bureau of Labor Statistics webpage on Career Outlook: Education Matters.

o   On Wednesday, Oct. 12, Dr. Lathrop’s office hours will be 1:00-1:45pm due to a conflicting meeting.

o   On Week 2, Wednesday, Oct. 5, meet in MRC-164 at the Ayala Science Library (to right as you face library from Aldrich Park). Julia Gelfand, the ICS librarian, will give you a lesson in the use of the library as a research tool.  Please bring your research paper by an ICS faculty member (see Homework #1, Week 1, below).  If you have a course time conflict, I will arrange a library make-up session later in the quarter.

o   Current announcements will appear here, at top-level, for quick and easy inspection.

 


Place, Time, Instructor, Counselor:

 

Place: DBH 1423 (building 314 on the UCI campus map)
Time: Wednesday 12:00noon-12:50pm

 

Two people primarily oversee the ICS Honors Program. The Honors Program Director, currently Rick Lathrop, is the faculty member in charge of the ICS Honors Program. The Honors Program Counselor, currently Jessica Shanahan, will help orient students and track their progress. Feel free to ask us any questions about the Honors Program.

 

Instructor/ICS Honors Program Director: Richard Lathrop
Office hours: Wednesdays 1:00-2:00pm, or anytime by appointment, in DBH-4224

Email:  rickl@uci.edu

(If you send email, please put “ICS-H197” somewhere in the Subject line.)

 

ICS Honors Program Counselor: Jessica Shanahan
Office hours: By appointment, in ICS-352

Email: shanahan@uci.edu

(If you send email, please put “ICS-H197” somewhere in the Subject line.)

 


Weekly ICS-90 Faculty Research Lectures:

 

Faculty research lectures: Co-located with ICS-90, Wednesday 5:00-6:00pm,  in BS3 1200 (building 519 on the UCI campus  map); overflow room with streaming video in HSLH 100A (building 501 on the UCI campus map). Students who already have taken ICS-90 are excused from any research lecture by a faculty member from whom they already have heard in ICS-90.

 

[NOTE: Some ICS-90 meetings will not involve faculty research lectures, and can be skipped.  See schedule as it develops (available at the bottom of this URL). The faculty research lectures are 5-5:30pm and 5:30-6pm, which you are obliged to attend if possible.  The time slot 6-6:20pm is reserved for advice to freshmen, which you may skip. Please attend in the HSLH 100A room, which is for juniors and seniors (the BS3 1200 room is for freshmen and sophomores).]

 


Goal:

 

ICS H197 provides an opportunity for undergraduate honors students in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences to learn about the research taking place in the School and to begin to get involved with this research. The major purpose of this course is to help you learn what sort of research is going on, which people do what, and how to get connected with a research project. The course will also provide a general introduction to the scientific and technical research enterprise, including the research literature, how to give a successful technical talk, the responsible conduct of research, research intellectual property, and research funding (grantsmanship and entrepreneurship). Various enrichment activities include a library-based introduction to searching the research literature and a faculty panel on improving your graduate school applications.

 

One of your major goals in this course is to gain an understanding of what research is being pursued in the School and what areas might be of interest to you for your project. This goal is crucial, since it should help you complete your next goal, selection of your faculty advisor. Remember that the arrangement must be mutually acceptable, so there is no guarantee that the first faculty member you talk to will say yes; it may be, for example, that they have no suitable project in mind at the time you ask, or already are just too busy.

 

It is not imperative that you begin your research immediately next quarter if your schedule for graduation allows you enough time. However, there are many important advantages to starting early, and we encourage you to begin by next quarter. Starting early gives you more flexibility with regard to finishing the rest of your degree requirements, especially if you want to continue the research for more than two quarters. Also, students often find that those faculty members who have supervised their honors research project are good sources for letters of recommendation; they will be in the best position to comment on your ability if you are well into your research project when the letters are due (typically Dec/Jan of your senior year, with exceptions).

 


Class Setup:

 

This course is graded Pass/Not Pass, and the principal formal requirement is that you attend class each week and participate in all enrichment exercises. If you have a course time conflict, please let me know immediately and I will make other arrangements for you.

 

Additionally, to complete this course successfully you must:

·         read (at least) one research paper by an ICS faculty member (Homework #1 below);

·         attend (at least) one outside ICS research talk (see the ICS Calendar for schedule; send me the date, speaker, and title of the talk you attended); and

·         attend (as many as possible of) the ICS-90 Weekly Faculty Research Lectures. Students who already have taken ICS-90 are excused from any research lecture by a faculty member from whom they already have heard in ICS-90.

 

Some of the class exercises may involve students giving feedback to fellow students, and your active participation is necessary for everyone to get the most benefit from this.

 

Occasional absences are inevitable given busy schedules. In general, you are given one free absence, and others beyond that must be excused on a case-by-case basis. Please make sure you sign the attendance sheet each class period you attend, and please let me know whenever you cannot attend class along with the reason.

 


ICS H198 Honors Research and Final Honors Report:

 

To complete the Honors Program you also must:

·         Do two quarters of independent, supervised work (ICS-H198) with your faculty advisor; and

·         Write and submit an Honors Report (undergraduate thesis) on your honors work that is certified by your faculty advisor to be of Honors quality.

 

You must keep us posted of your progress in the ICS Honors Program by filing these forms with the Honors Program Counselor:

·         File a Faculty Contact Report form each quarter until you find a faculty mentor.

·         File an Initial Plan form when you find a faculty mentor and agree on a research project.

·         File a Final Report form with your Final Honors Report (undergraduate thesis) to complete the program.

o   Some sample theses have been provided to help you gain an understanding of what a typical thesis looks like.

 

Some substitutions are possible:

·         Students majoring in ICS or CS can count completion of two ICS H198s as one project course.

·         Students majoring in CSE can count CSE 181ABC as one of the ICS H198s required for the Honors Program.

·         Students majoring in CSE can count Engr H199 as one of the ICS H198s required for the Honors Program.

 

Sometimes, your advisor might ask you to take a graduate course to substitute for the first ICS H198 quarter, which is fine.

 

Sometimes, Honors Students wish to do inter-disciplinary Honors work (ICS H198) with a UCI professor from another Department who is not affiliated with ICS. This is encouraged. It does require special administrative protocols, which I will navigate for you. Please let me know as early as possible if this case applies to you.

 


For Campuswide Honors Program (CHP) Students:

 

Two types of students take this course: students in the ICS Honors Program (ICSHP), and students in the Campuswide Honors Program (CHP). In many ways the requirements are the same for both types of students: you are to select a faculty advisor, do two or more quarters of research with that advisor, and produce a report which is considered to be of honors quality. Nevertheless, students in the Campuswide Honors Program should discuss their plans with counselors in the CHP, in order to make sure that they are meeting the requirements of that program.

 


Recommended books:

William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, MacMillan, New York.

Robert A. Day (ed.), How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, Oryx Press, 1998.

Joseph M. Williams, Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, Harper-Collins, 1989.

Dale Carnegie, The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking: Modern Techniques for Dynamic Communication, Pocket Books, New York, 1977.

Robert M. Woelfle (ed.), A New Guide for Better Technical Presentations, IEEE Press, 1992.


Syllabus:

The following represents a preliminary syllabus. Some changes in the lecture sequence may occur due to earthquakes, fires, floods, wars, natural disasters, unnatural disasters, or class progress. The syllabus, schedule, lecture slides, and background material may be changed or revised as we go along, at the discretion of the instructor.  Special Guest Speakers may submit additional background material shortly before their talk to augment their presentation.

 

Please, each week just before class, review all class and speaker material for that week (remember to refresh your browser first).

 


Week 1:

 

            Wed., 28 Sep.

 

            Special Guest: Jessica Shanahan, ICS Honors Program Counselor. ICS SAO Website.

 

            Introduction to (1) the ICS Honors Program, and (2) ICS Research Areas and resources.

 

Background material:

            ICS Honors Program Website

            ICS Research Areas.

            ICS Research Centers.

            ICS Research Highlights.

            ICS Calendar.

            ICS Faculty.

            Literature overview. [PDF; PPT]

            Technical writing. [PDF]

 

            Summary and reminder of schedule changes:

o   On Week 2, Tuesday, Oct. 5, meet in MRC-164 at the Ayala Science Library (to right as you face library from Aldrich Park). Julia Gelfand, the ICS librarian, will give you a lesson in the use of the library as a research tool.  Please bring your research paper by an ICS faculty member (see Homework #1 below).  If you have a course time conflict, I will arrange a library make-up session later in the quarter.

o   On Week 6, Tuesday, Nov. 1, meet in DBH-6011 for the ICS Faculty Panel on Improving Your Grad School Application [Announcement here].  You are obliged to attend this panel even if you do not currently plan to attend grad school (if you ever change your mind later in your career, you will want to know this stuff!).  If you have a course time conflict, you are obliged to watch the video of the panel when it appears later (link TBA).  Please, consider carefully the US Bureau of Labor Statistics webpage on Career Outlook: Education Matters. [Date may need to change to avoid ICS Faculty Meetings.]

 

            Homework #1, due Wed., 5 Oct.:

Find and read a research paper by an ICS Faculty Member.

o   Make sure the paper already will be indexed in the literature (published more than 6 months ago in a major venue).

o   Bring your paper to MRC-164 at the Ayala Science Library on Wed., 5 Oct.

o   If you already have a research advisor and topic, this research paper must be from an entirely different research area. The intent is to broaden your exposure to ICS research in general.

o   Email the title and authors of your paper to Dr. Lathrop by Wed., 5 Oct.

 

 

Week 2:

 

            Wed., 5 Oct., meet in MRC-164 at the Ayala Science Library (to right as you face library from Aldrich Park).

 

            Introduction to Searching the Research Literature, by Julia Gelfand, ICS and Engineering librarian.

 

                        Bring your ICS faculty research paper to MRC-164.

o   Your challenge: Find your paper in the literature databases using the online search tools.

·         Pretend you didn’t know it existed beforehand, but need to find it now --- Treasure Hunt!

 

            Homework #2, due Wed., 12 Oct.:

Summary, Point, & Question about your paper. [Instructions; Guide]

o   Email your 1-page Summary to Dr. Lathrop by Wed., 12 Oct.

 

 

Week 3:

 

            Wed., 12 Oct. Happy Yom Kippur!

 

            Guest Speaker: Ardalan Sani, Professor of Computer Science. Talk Abstract and Short Bio. Sani Website.

 

            Course Content: Responsible Conduct of Research.

 

                        On Being a Scientist Video. Authors: Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine

                        Responsible Conduct of Research. Presentation Material Credit: On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research, Third Edition, The National Academies; Michael Kalichman, Director, UC San Diego Research Ethics Program; Said Shokair, Director, UCI UROP; ICS Honors Program by Rick Lathrop, Director, ICS Honors Program.

 

                        You learned the basics in kindergarten:  Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal.

                                    * Don’t lie:  Don’t make up false data or otherwise falsify results.

                                    * Don’t cheat:  Don’t misrepresent your data as something it is not or as better than it is.

                                    * Don’t steal:  Don’t use the words or data of others without proper credit and citation; don’t plagiarize.

                        More complicated cases may require you to consult for advice and disclose conflicts of interest so they can be managed.

                        When in doubt, seek advice and disclose conflicts.

 

            Background Material:

Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research,” Nicholas H. Steneck with David Zinn, Office of Research Integrity (ORI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

UC Conflict of Interest Policy,” UC Business and Finance Bulletin G-39, UC Executive Vice President – Business Operations.

Integrity In Research,UCI Office of Research Administration.

UC Office of Ethics, Compliance & Audit Services.”

 

Homework #3, Due Wed., 19 Oct.:

Identify three interesting ICS research areas, and three interesting professors in each area. [Instructions]

o   Email your 1-page Summary to Dr. Lathrop by Wed., 19 Oct. The point to this exercise is to show you that you have very broad interests, and that you can find many ICS professors who might sponsor interesting research.

o   If you already have a research advisor and topic, all three research areas must be entirely different.  The intent is to broaden your exposure to ICS research in general.

 

 

Week 4:

 

            Wed., 19 Oct.

 

            Guest speaker:  Hernando Ombao, Professor of Statistics and Professor of Cognitive Sciences. Space Time Group at UCI, Ombao Website.

 

            Course Content: How to Give a Successful Technical Talk.

                        How to Give a Successful Technical Talk.

                        Tree Talk.

 

Background material:

                        Talk Tips.

                        10 Talking Points.

                        Example talk: Intelligent Systems and Molecular Biology. [Short version for ICS-90]

                        Example archived student talks by previous ICS Honors Students.

 

Homework #4, Due Wed., 26 Oct.:

Identify one interesting ICS professor with whom you might work. [Instructions]

o   Email your 1-page Summary to Dr. Lathrop by Wed., 26 Oct.

o   The point to this exercise is to show you how to learn more about an ICS professor before you approach them for research.

o   If you already have a research advisor and topic, this ICS professor must be from an entirely different area. The intent is to broaden your exposure to ICS research in general.

 

 

Week 5:

 

            Wed., 26 Oct.

 

            Guest Speaker: Yu Chen, Assistant Project Scientist, Dept. of Informatics. Yu Chen website, Yunan Chen website.

 

            Course Content: Research Funding --- Grantsmanship and Entrepreneurship

 

Week 6:

 

            Tue., 1 Nov. [Date/time changed to avoid ICS Faculty Meetings.]

 

            Tue., 1 Nov., meet noon-1:50pm in DBH-6011.

            ICS Faculty Panel on Improving Your Graduate School Applications [PPT announcement here].

o   Students with time conflicts: Watch the video (link TBA).

o   Please, consider carefully the US Bureau of Labor Statistics webpage on Career Outlook: Education Matters.

 

            Homework #5, due Wed., 9 Nov.:

            Identify five grad schools to which you might apply.  For each school, identify one professor there with whom you might work, and add a sentence to explain why you would be a good fit.

o   Email your list to Dr. Lathrop by Wed.,9 Nov.

o   The reason for this requirement is so that when you write your Statement of Purpose for each school, you will be able to mention at least one professor *from that school* who interests you, and explain why. In your explanation, try to cite one or more specific reasons why you would be a good fit. Simply saying “The CS program there is famous.” does not make you stand out from the other applicants.

o   This exercise will be more helpful if you first reflect and introspect to focus on a single area that really interests you, instead of picking five very different areas all of which might interest you. The reason for this is that when you apply to grad school you will have to focus anyway, and so it is helpful to focus before you start to pick your schools.

o   Some professors will do a global string search for their name through all of the applicant's Statements of Purpose, and then preferentially read those applications that mention their name.

o   Thus, if you want to improve the chances that your application actually will be read seriously, it is helpful to you to mention names of professors at that school who interest you.  Of course, if you mention a long list of names it will be obvious spam, so mention no more than one to three. Also, briefly mention something personal that attracts your interest about each, again to indicate that it isn’t just impersonal spam.

o   Be *CAREFUL*. I have read email letters and/or Statements of Purpose that state, “I greatly look forward to doing research with Prof. Lathrop at the Univ. of Texas, Austen.” Do not make such a careless mistake, or the reader will infer that you are prone to careless mistakes. Please proof-read and double-check everything very carefully, three or more times at least.

o   These remarks apply mainly to Ph.D. applications.  M.S. applications usually do not receive as much carefully individual scrutiny as do Ph.D. applications, though the letters may make a difference in borderline cases.

o   Even if you currently do not intend to apply to graduate school, you still must attend the Panel and do the homework.  If you ever change your mind later in your career, after you know more about the field than you do now, you will want to be well prepared.

 

Week 7:

           

            Wed., 9 Nov.

 

            Guest Speaker: Sameer Singh, Assistant Professor of Computer Science. Singh Website.

 

            Course Content: Research Intellectual Property --- Patents, Copyrights, Trade Marks, and Trade Secrets

Background material:

                        UC Patent Policy, and Patent Acknowledgment.

 

            No more homework!  Work hard in your other courses!

 

Week 8:

 

            Wed., 16 Nov.

 

            12:00-12:25: Guest Speaker: Alfred Kobsa, Professor of Informatics. Kobsa Website.

            12:25-12:50: Guest Speaker: Anton Burtsev, Assistant Adjunct Professor.

 

            Course Content: TBA.

 

Week 9:

 

            Wed., 23 Nov.

 

            Guest Speaker:  Edwin Solares, former ICS Honors Student, now UCI PhD student in Biology.

 

Week 10:

 

            Wed., 30 Nov.

 

            Guest Speaker: Said Shokair, Director of UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). UROP Website.

 

            Course Content: Final questions and comments. Feedback to improve future ICS-H197 offerings.