One of the great benefits for undergraduates studying in a research university like Stanford, is the opportunity to participate in leading edge research. While not all students will take advantage of this opportunity, for those that do, the results can be magical. All too often an undergraduate engineering or science education can seem like an endless series of lectures, homework assignments and exams. There is much more to engineering and science than this. Working on the frontiers of a discipline by spending a summer in a faculty research group or by doing a special project with a faculty member can provide tremendous insight into what a career might be like. Sometimes these research experiences result in published work, in technical journals or in magazines like this EE/CS Research Journal. I hope you enjoy reading about the research projects of the students who have written for this magazine. Behind each of the articles is a story of an exciting opportunity to explore the frontiers of a field.

Jim Plummer
Dean, School of Engineering