Optimizing resources in undergraduate research

The Gonzaga University Center for Evolutionary Algorithms (GUCEA) is an interdisciplinary and collaborative research group which brings together faculty and undergraduate students from Civil Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics. GUCEA students develop genetic algorithm (GA) software which is applied to difficult problems in structural engineering and mathematics. Gonzaga University is primarily an undergraduate institution, so developing a research program involves challenges unique to smaller schools. This paper presents ways to overcome these challenges, discusses the benefits of creating a research program involving undergraduate students, and highlights GUCEA findings in optimal truss design and book embeddings of graphs.