Homework Specification: Research Faculty or Group Review

The goal here is to summarize the research interests and activity of a CS faculty member or research group. I expect this would take two to five pages, certainly no more than ten pages. Here are some further comments:

• You may want to include an historical dimension, showing how the current work has developed over the years. However, you do not have to summarize everything that a faculty member has ever done. It is better to focus on current activities.

• You will want to look at web sites and papers by the faculty member or group. It might be a good idea to interview the faculty member you are focusing on, or one of the members of the group. Sitting in on research group meetings, going to seminars, and talking to graduate students would be other ways to gather information.

• If you are focusing on one faculty member and that person has several research interests, it is fine if you want to focus mainly on only one of those interests. But a general survey of all that faculty member's work is okay as well.

• If you are focusing on a research group, you certainly will not want to try to summarize everything that everyone in that group has ever done. Instead, tell the story of their current focus and activities: who is involved, how it evolved, what is happening now, future plans, etc.