Undergraduate students Ansh Pandey (Computer Science) and Manasa Srikanth (Computer Engineering) wanted to apply what they learned in their classes at Cal Poly to revolutionize the transportation system. They teamed up with Dr. Shams Tanvir and Dr. Mugizi Rwebangira, who were leading the research of using a digital twin to replicate real-world traffic systems and worked closely with them through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).
The Cal Poly College of Engineering’s SURP started in 2017 with the purpose of providing research experience to undergraduate students. The program grants participants a $3500 stipend to work closely with faculty mentors in a specified field of study for 20 hours a week for eight weeks throughout the summer.
“Through SURP, I gained super valuable experience exploring the world of research and computer science,” Pandey said. “We tried, tested and failed but then tried again. It was fun learning about the academic research world and how it relates to computer science.”
With guidance from Tanvir and Rwebangira, students Pandey and Srikanth’s research resulted in the capability to change the behavior of vehicles in the traffic simulation using their TracCI interface.
Hector Reyes (Psychology) and Mia Venturini (Biology, Psychology) used SURP to focus on social media and the impact of randomly presented videos on memory. They worked under the guidance of Dr. Kelly Bennion.
“Throughout this project, I felt empowered to share my thoughts and opinions,” Reyes said. “Professionally, SURP gave me the opportunity to work on my research skills and gain experience that can make me a strong candidate for graduate school.”
Computer science student Anthony Colin wanted to be part of this year’s SURP experience after hearing Dr. Franz Kurfess talk about his project to use artificial intelligence for search and rescue.
“Through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program, under the guidance of Dr. Kurfess, I gained valuable hands-on experience working with a team, reading documentation and practicing with databases,” Colin said. “My experience in this program helped me hone my skills and was a big part of my success in landing a software development internship for summer 2023.”
While working on his SURP project, mechanical engineering student Jose Gonzalez noticed many benefits, including the upside of performing research with a team.
“Something valuable that I gained while conducting research this summer is a new perspective of knowledge,” Gonzalez said. “It was nice being able to investigate a real-world problem and assist in the further understanding of it alongside a team.”
Students presented their research findings during the event that is jointly organized by the Cal Poly College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, Orfalea College of Business and Office of Student Research in collaboration with LSAMP B2B California Central Coast Community College Collaborative that includes Allan Hancock College, Cabrillo College, Cuesta College, Monterey Peninsula College, Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Santa Barbara City College and Ventura College.
