Four Cal State San Bernardino students took their learning beyond the classroom in Washington, D.C., where they joined a national community of STEM scholars and two shared their research at the 2026 S-STEM Scholars and PI Meeting.

CSUSB students Brandon Prudencio, Dylan Diaz, Kira Phan and Christopher Dodge represented the university’s Experiential Computing and Engaged Learning Scholarships (ExCELS) program. They traveled with Yunfei Hou, professor in CSUSB’s School of Computer Science and Engineering and principal investigator of the ExCELS project.

Hosted by the Advancement of Science (AAAS) S-STEM Resource and Evaluation Center, the meeting brought together 1,930 attendees, including 1,100 scholars. Held Oct. 9-11 at the Washington Hilton, plenary sessions, workshops and a career and education fair gave the students opportunities to meet peers from other campuses, explore graduate study and learn about STEM career pathways.

The trip marked the first visit to Washington, D.C., for all four students, making the experience especially meaningful. During the poster session, Diaz and Dodge presented their research to a national audience. Diaz presented “Sequential and State-Space Modeling of Gaze Reveals the Dynamics of Preparatory Cognitive Control,” while Dodge presented “Investigating Information Freshness in IEEE 802.11 WiFi Networks.”

The poster presentations reflected ExCELS’ emphasis on faculty mentoring and hands-on research. Dodge conducted his research under the guidance of Suyang Wang, assistant professor in CSUSB’s School of Computer Science and Engineering. Diaz’s advisors were Jennifer Jin, associate professor in the School of Computer Science and Engineering; Jason Reimer, professor of psychology; and Kevin Rosales, assistant professor of child, adolescent and family studies. Their collaboration across disciplines highlights the multidisciplinary nature of artificial intelligence and computing research — and the opportunities ExCELS scholars have to explore connections across fields.

“ExCELS helps talented students turn their aspirations into opportunities through scholarships, mentoring and research, and lays a strong foundation for their future careers and graduate programs,” said Sastry G. Pantula, dean of CSUSB’s College of Natural Sciences. “This national meeting gave our scholars a chance to share their work and shine a light on our faculty’s commitment to our student success. We are grateful to NSF and AAAS for supporting these opportunities and to honorable Congressman Pete Aguilar and his staff for their support of our students and the ExCELS project.”

The trip also took the scholars beyond the conference. On Oct. 9, they met with staff in U.S. Rep Aguilar’s Washington office and toured the U.S. Capitol during a visit arranged by his staff. The ExCELS team expressed their appreciation to the office for welcoming the group and giving students a closer look at public service in the nation’s capital.

“More than ever, we should be investing in the Inland Empire’s students and preparing them for careers of the future. That’s why the ExCELS program is so important,” said Aguilar. “By helping CSUSB students pursue computing degrees and connect with research and career opportunities, ExCELS strengthens pathways into our region’s technology workforce and sets students up for long-term success.” 

“The ExCELS program also thanks Marisa Yeager and Maral Hernandez for hosting an information session that helped prepare the scholars for their first visit to Washington, D.C.,” said Hou. “We appreciate the help provided with the arrangements in D.C. and for their advocacy for CSUSB.”

About ExCELS

The ExCELS program is supported by the National Science Foundation S-STEM award #2322436, totaling $2.5 million. The program supports academically talented students with financial need who are pursuing computing-related degrees at CSUSB. Along with scholarships, it provides mentoring, hands-on research and engaged learning opportunities to strengthen student success and pathways into the computing workforce, including careers in the Inland Empire.

Hou leads the project with co-principal investigators Khalil Dajani, chair of the School of Computer Science and Engineering; José Muñoz, professor of Computer Science and Engineering; Qingquan Sun, professor of Computer Science and Engineering; and Yan Zhang, professor of Computer Science and Engineering. For more information, visit the CSUSB ExCELS Grant Program webpage.