Bryan Minor will graduate from WSU in the fall of 2010, but with his undergraduate degree he will also leave the Palouse with a depth of research experience few have before graduate school. Minor heard about the NSF-sponsored program Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in the spring of 2008 and was immediately intrigued.

“I’ve always liked computers and the thought of designing an embedded system that can make people’s lives easier is really interesting,” he said, “So I met with Diane Cook and applied to the program—luckily I got in.”

During the summers of 2008 and 2009, Minor worked closely with Cook, learning as much as he could about algorithm development and its application to smart home environments. Minor and his fellow researchers helped in the development of algorithms to analyze data from Cook’s smart home to ultimately help people stay in their homes longer.

“It’s interesting to be able to explore the human–computer interface and see how people react to technology,” he said. “We were able to do something that was practical and useful.” Working with Cook, says Minor, was not only fun, but yielded his first conference paper. “She’s really keen on facilitating learning while meeting the stated goals for the project,” he said. “Being able to do this research and then apply it to what I am learning in class is invaluable. It enhances my degree and it has helped me understand a lot more about what research is all about.”