CSUN’s NSF REU Site Empowers Next Generation of Computer Scientists
NSF REU 2023 – 2024 Group Photo by Spencer J. H. Yang.
In an era where artificial intelligence and machine learning dominate headlines, the hidden cost of these technological advances often goes unnoticed: energy consumption. Within the College’s Computer Science department, Dr. Xunfei Jiang is leading an innovative National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF REU) site that tackles this energy challenge head-on while opening doors for underrepresented students in computer science.
The NSF REU site, focused on “Applying Data Science on Energy-efficient Cluster Systems and Applications,” provides an intensive 8-week summer research experience for undergraduate students. Running from 2023 to 2025, this program specifically aims to increase participation from groups traditionally underrepresented in computing across the nation.
The reason for this topic was simple. “Nowadays, artificial intelligence has been widely used in almost every area,” explains Dr. Jiang, “These machine learning models and their training requires a lot of computing resources… And those of us that support those large, data intensive, computationally intensive workloads know it consumes a lot of the energy.”
This focus on energy efficiency makes having students from all walks of life particularly valuable to the research, as they bring unique perspectives shaped by their communities’ experiences with energy access and environmental challenges. Dr. Jiang shares “I would like to build opportunities for students, but especially for underrepresented students to get involved into research. So they will have an opportunity to see what the most recent technology looks like and what different strategies and solutions people propose to solve those challenging and cutting-edge issues.”
Students who have joined receive daily training sessions from Monday through Wednesday over the summer, covering research methodologies, technical skills, and data science knowledge. They gain hands-on experience with parallel and distributed computing, learning to improve program efficiency using multiple computer cores. Alongside this training, students also participate in professional development activities, including graduate school application workshops and alumni panel discussions. Each cohort concludes the program by presenting their research at the Southern California REU Poster Symposium. For this year, they participated at the Harvey Mudd College for their presentations.
Dr. Xunfei Jiang & students in front of NSF REU Poster.
With this access and training, the program’s impact is already showing promising results. “In the last year we’ve had three papers published, and research from last year’s project just had another paper accepted for publication,” shares Dr. Jiang. Projects have ranged from workload management in data centers to improving the prediction of wildfire risk.
The program also includes practical site visits to actual data centers, providing real-world context for the energy efficiency focus. “When they come into the data center, they will know how much heat was generated and why this amount of cooling is needed, so [the students learn first-hand how] reducing energy consumption is important,” Dr. Jiang notes.
The program continues to evolve, with plans to expand and engage more students interested in data science and energy-efficient computing. Students receive a $700 weekly stipend for the 8-week period, along with housing and meal allowances, making the opportunity accessible to a broader range of participants. This financial support ensures the program remains accessible to talented students from colleges across the nation.
The next summer session runs from June – July 2025. Eligible students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled in computer science or related majors, maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students involved in other groups such as the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) or the Autonomy Research Center for STEAHM (ARCS) are encouraged to apply.
For prospective applicants, Dr. Jiang emphasizes the program’s competitive nature: “Every year there are more than 100 students who apply to our REU site.” She advises candidates to “prepare earlier, starting looking for opportunities in early January.” and to clearly express “why you are interested in the REU site, which project you’re interested in and what relevant experience may help you to contribute to the project.”
Through this innovative program, Dr. Jiang and CSUN are cultivating the next wave of computer scientists who bring both technical expertise and diverse perspectives to the critical challenge of sustainable computing. As these students advance their research in energy-efficient systems, they’re pioneering solutions that will shape how we approach technological sustainability for generations to come.