Applied Machine Learning Intensive (AMLI) at the University of Kentucky

Applied Machine Learning Intensive (AMLI) at the University of Kentucky The Department of Computer Science at the University of Kentucky (UK) proposes to host the inaugural 2020 and 2021. The efforts will be led by Assistant Professor Corey E. Baker. As a selected campus, UK will provide state-of-the-art training facilities along with a unique environment to the twenty (20) visiting students. In particular, the AMLI students will have full access to Professor Baker as well as the underrepresented minority doctoral students in his research lab in which three (3) out of four (4) are women, three (3) out of four (4) are Black or African American, and one (1) out of four (4) are Latinx. In addition, in terms of underrepresentation at the doctoral level, the Department of Computer Science is made up 20% women (slightly under the 22% national average), 6.7% Black or African American (significantly above the 1.5% national average), and 2.7% Hispanic or Latino (slightly above the 1.9% national average). The inclusive environment the AMLI students will be trained is imperative to acclimating them to the rigorous Google Education open-source machine learning material. To attract the inaugural cohort of AMLI students and graduate teachers for the summer of 2020, Professor Baker will leverage his recruiting and planning experience along with any provided resources from NACME and Google. Dr. Baker is responsible for creating UK’s Graduate Campus Visit Program for underrepresented students which began Spring 2018. Since the program''s inception, the Department of Computer Science and the College have made significant leaps in their representation at the doctoral level. Prior to Professor Baker’s efforts, the Department of Computer Science was at 19% women, 0% Black or African American, and 1.5% Hispanic or Latino. Currently, the Graduate Campus Visit program has matriculated eight (8) students into the College of Engineering. The students have been highly successful in their graduate studies with an average GPA of 3.58 (median 3.62). To find students, we will leverage the UK recruiting booth at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) National Convention in Houston, Texas, on March 25-29th 2020 (Note, the NSBE conference was recently postponed until a future date). In addition, we will reach out to students on underrepresented organizations and list-serves as well as to familiar colleagues and contacts. Students will apply through a google form application that will be stored on UK’s university google drive. The AMLI will be held June 9, 2020 - August 6, 2020 in the LEED Gold Certified Davis Marksbury Building (Department of Computer Science) and when needed in the Ralph G. Anderson Building (College of Engineering). The students will be staying in newly renovated dorms that are located on UK’s main campus. The dorms are two (2) bedroom suites with a private bedroom, semi-private bathroom, full XL beds, kitchenette, mini refrigerator and freezer, and a microwave. The university is located within walking distance of downtown Lexington, and students will receive breakfast, lunch, and dinner access to our brand newly opened (2018) Champions Kitchen which is located in our new (2018) student center. *Due to the pandemic, many of the on-campus components such as housing will be moved to a virtual setting