Professor Clayton Lewis Helps Undergraduate Students Get Involved in Research

As a CU President’s Teaching Scholar since 1989, computer science Professor Clayton Lewis places a high value on undergraduate education.  He enjoys teaching introductory courses and has worked diligently to involve undergraduates in the research enterprise. 

“Undergraduate programs are the true foundation of strong departments and a strong university,” he says.

A few years ago, Lewis established a new research opportunity program in the computer science department, which allows undergraduates to assist Boulder campus faculty in applying educational technology to their teaching. The students develop a broader technical awareness through projects that require them to harness a variety of technical resources to solve a problem.

For example, one group of students created a virtual reality presentation of an archaeological site, while another developed computer technology for people with severe mental handicaps.

“We need to give students the experience of working in close collaboration with faculty and in teams to solve problems,” Lewis says. “Undergraduate involvement in research should be an essential part of their learning experience.”

Lewis came to CU-Boulder in 1984 from the IBM Watson Research Center, where he worked on problems related to human-computer interaction.  With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, he continues to focus his research on the way people interact with computers, while also designing more user-friendly computer systems.

Frank Barnes Telecom- munications Kristi Anseth Tissue Engineering Brian Argrow Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Bernard Amadei Engineers Without Borders Clayton Lewis Computer Science Jana Milford Environmental Engineering