Our research will encourage/engage students (e.g., GRAs) and faculty members (i.e., two of PI/Co-PIs are female scientists) with diverse backgrounds and from under-represented populations. In particular, we will leverage the Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program (MAOP) program at VT, and the programs on the Black Outreach Leadership (BOLT) and the Hispanic Engagement & Achievement Team (HEAT). We will also increase recruitment of under-represented students through participation in programs such as VT’s Center for Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED), the McNair Program, National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), and interaction with local high schools. The PIs/Co-PIs have good previous experience working with minority students. PI Ha supervised two female and two minority MS students to completion in the past three years and currently supervises four female undergraduate students on research projects. Co-PI Cho are currently working with Bowie State Univ. (BSU) and Univ. of District Columbia (UDC), both of which belong to minority and Historically Black College/Univ. (HBCU). Cho will reach out BSU and UDC to recruit underrepresented students. CMU has an existing joint Ph.D. program with Howard University, a HBCU, that PI Kumar will leverage in recruiting students from under-represented communities. PI Kumar advises one female PhD student and three female MS students. White supervises or has supervised 5 female, and 2 female, minority graduate students and numerous female and minority undergraduates on research activities. White has previous outreach experience working with female high school students on agriculture related-projects. As described in the Broadening Participation Plan, we will hold workshops for high school students, using activities designed to promote students’ creativity, critical thinking, and independent problem-solving skills, and to instill students with a life-long interest in computing and engineering through application-oriented projects demonstrating innovations.