Lab Page: https://www.cs.hmc.edu/AMISTAD
Lab Projects: https://www.cs.hmc.edu/~montanez/projects/projects.html
LAB Publications: https://www.cs.hmc.edu/~montanez/publications.html
AMISTAD Lab focuses on understanding ML/AI and other stochastic systems at a fundamental level. We prove limits on these systems, understanding what makes them work from first principles, and leveraging these insights for creating new forms of learning systems. A lot of our work is mathematical, but for summer projects we often have empirical projects which try to understand systems by varying them and examining their outputs. A new set of projects for the summer will be decided closer to the start of summer research. Students participate in every step of the research process: proofs, experimental design, coding, data collection-analysis-visualization, scientific writing, and presentation of results at a conference. The goal is for students to end up with a publication based on their summer research.
In the past, our summer work resulted in a Best Paper Award at ICAART 2020 (https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2020/03/05/cs-researchers-win-best-paper-at-icaart/), and one summer research student (Amani Maina-Kilaas) has won a CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award partially based on the summer work he did in the lab (https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2022/01/19/cra-recognizes-undergraduate-computing-research/). Another student (Cynthia Hom) was selected this year as a CRA Honorable Mention for the same award.
If you really want to join us: 1) Look over the projects on our website to make sure the sorts of things we do fit with your goals. 2) Make sure you let us know of you enthusiasm for the lab. Enthusiasm and desire for research count more than "talent", background, or current ability. The lab is to help you grow.
- We are a productive lab. You can be productive with us.
- Students become well-trained in academic research, having a high degree of project autonomy and responsibility.
- You can work on open-ended projects at the frontiers of current scientific knowledge. You must be comfortable with uncertainty and have the grit to persist when the way forward isn't clear.
- We have daily meetings to keep you on track and hold our teams accountable. You can work together with great team-members!
- You can get articles about your research featured on the Mudd website:
https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2022/01/14/icaart-2022-highlights-hmc-cs-research/,
https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2021/04/29/harvey-mudd-cs-students-publish-and-present-work/,
https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2021/03/16/cs-research-published/,
https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2020/07/07/cs-clinic-team-publishes-transfer-learning-research/,
https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2020/03/05/cs-researchers-win-best-paper-at-icaart/,
https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2020/01/14/cs-researchers-present-findings-in-machine-learning-algorithms/ - Prof. George has won awards for mentoring students:
https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2021/05/14/2021-harvey-mudd-college-leadership-awards/
https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2020/05/12/montanez-receives-diversity-mentor-award/