Summer Undergraduate Research

Southwestern University provides funds for students to engage in undergraduate research with faculty mentors, and I have participated in this program regularly. The program was once named SCOPE, but is currently called SURF, which simply stands for Southwestern University Research Fund. I have mentored many students in these programs since the Summer of 2016. This page summarizes the accomplishments of my past summer research students.

Associated Movies and Images

Associated Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Jacob Schrum, Benjamin Capps, Kirby Steckel, Vanessa Volz, and Sebastian Risi (2023). Hybrid Encoding For Generating Large Scale Game Level Patterns With Local Variations, IEEE Transactions on Games (ToG 2023). March. Volume 15, No. 1, pages 46 - 55. IEEE. (appendix and levels, software).

Peer-Reviewed Conference Publications

Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, Mark Mueller, and Jacob Schrum (2023). Evolving Flying Machines in Minecraft Using Quality Diversity, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2023). (movies, software, slides, presentation).

Benjamin Capps, and Jacob Schrum (2021). Using Multiple Generative Adversarial Networks to Build Better-Connected Levels for Mega Man, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2021). (presentation, slides, levels, software).

Jacob Schrum, Jake Gutierrez, Vanessa Volz, Jialin Liu, Simon M. Lucas, and Sebastian Risi (2020). Interactive Evolution and Exploration Within Latent Level-Design Space of Generative Adversarial Networks, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2020). (presentation, slides, movie, software).

Jake Gutierrez, and Jacob Schrum (2020). Generative Adversarial Network Rooms in Generative Graph Grammar Dungeons for The Legend of Zelda, Proceedings of the Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC 2020). (presentation, slides, movies, software).

Adina Friedman, and Jacob Schrum (2019). Desirable Behaviors for Companion Bots in First-Person Shooters, Proceedings of the Conference on Games (CoG 2019). (slides, movies, software).

Bryan Hollingsworth, and Jacob Schrum (2019). Infinite Art Gallery: A Game World of Interactively Evolved Artwork, Proceedings of the Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC 2019). (slides, movies and executable, software).

William Price, and Jacob Schrum (2019). Neuroevolution of Multimodal Ms. Pac-Man Controllers Under Partially Observable Conditions, Proceedings of the Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC 2019). (slides, movies, contest entry, evolution software).

Isabel Tweraser, Lauren E. Gillespie, and Jacob Schrum (2018). Querying Across Time to Interactively Evolve Animations, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2018). (slides, art and movies, software).

Lauren E. Gillespie, Gabriela R. Gonzalez, and Jacob Schrum (2017). Comparing Direct and Indirect Encodings Using Both Raw and Hand-Designed Features in Tetris, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2017). (slides, movies, software).

Extended Abstracts

Kirby Steckel, and Jacob Schrum (2021). Illuminating the Space of Beatable Lode Runner Levels Produced By Various Generative Adversarial Networks, Companion to the Proceedings of the Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation (GECCO Companion 2021). (poster, levels, software). (also extended into a technical report)

Alex Rollins, and Jacob Schrum (2017). Balancing Selection Pressures, Multiple Objectives, and Neural Modularity to Coevolve Cooperative Agent Behavior, Companion to the Proceedings of the Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation (GECCO Companion 2017). (poster, movies, software). (also extended into a technical report)

Technical Reports

Kirby Steckel, and Jacob Schrum (2021). Illuminating the Space of Beatable Lode Runner Levels Produced By Various Generative Adversarial Networks, ArXiv e-print: 2101.07868, January, 2021. (levels, software).

Alex Rollins, and Jacob Schrum (2017). Balancing Selection Pressures, Multiple Objectives, and Neural Modularity to Coevolve Cooperative Agent Behavior, ArXiv e-print: 1703.08577, March, 2017. (movies, software).

Undergraduate Poster Presentations Supervised

Joanna Lewis, and Travis Rafferty (2024). Using Multi-Objective Quality Diversity to Evolve Complex Machines in Minecraft, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software).

Joanna Lewis, and Travis Rafferty (2023). Using Multi-Objective Quality Diversity to Evolve Complex Machines in Minecraft, Southwestern University High Impact Experiences Celebration. (movies, software).

Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller (2023). Using Quality Diversity to Evolve Flying Machines in Minecraft, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (poster presentation, movies, software). 3rd Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller (2023). Interactive Evolution of Novel Shapes in Minecraft, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (poster presentation, movies, software).

Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller (2022). Using Quality Diversity to Generate Flying Machines in Minecraft, Southwestern University High Impact Experiences Celebration. (movies, software).

Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller (2022). Interactive Evolution of Novel Shapes in Minecraft, Southwestern University High Impact Experiences Celebration. (movies, software).

Anna Wicker (2022). Target-Based Image Evolution Using Quality Diversity Based Exclusively on Genome Complexity, Alpha Chi National Convention. (software).

Anna Wicker (2021). Target-Based Image Evolution Using Quality Diversity Based Exclusively on Genome Complexity, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (software).

Maxx Batterton (2021). Evaluating Quality Diversity Success by Transferring MAP Elites Archives, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (software).

Benjamin Capps (2020). Evolving Mega Man Levels Using Generative Adversarial Networks, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (levels, software).

Kirby Steckel (2020). Evolving Lode Runner Levels with Generative Adversarial Networks, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (levels, software).

Jake Gutierrez (2019). Creating Zelda Dungeons with a Graph Grammar and a Generative Adversarial Network, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

Aleksandr Nazaruk (2019). Speed's the Game: For the development of behaviorally diverse Sonic the Hedgehog agents, Southwestern University Science Research Open House.

Bryan Hollingsworth (2019). Infinite Art Gallery: A Game World of Interactively Evolved Artwork, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies and executable, software). 3rd Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

Devon Fulcher (2019). Evolving Custom Convolutional Neural Network Architectures in SZ-Tetris, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (software). 4th Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

Adina Friedman (2019). Desirable Behaviors for Companion Bots in First-Person Shooters, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software).

William Price (2018). Evolving an Intelligent Ms. Pac-Man Agent Under Partially Observable Conditions, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, contest entry, evolution software).

Bryan Hollingsworth (2018). Evolving an Infinite Art Gallery Using Compositional Pattern Producing Networks, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies and executable, software).

Devon Fulcher (2018). Evolving Custom Convolutional Neural Network Architectures in SZ-Tetris, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (software).

Adina Friedman (2018). Creating Evolved and Hand Coded Companion Characters, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

Sarah "Darwin" Johnson (2018). Evolution of Board Game Playing Agents, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (software).

Alice Quintanilla (2018). Evolving Artificial Intelligences to Compete in Real-Time Strategy Games, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software).

Sarah "Darwin" Johnson (2017). Evolution of Board Game Playing Agents, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (software).

Alice Quintanilla (2017). Evolving Artificial Intelligences to Compete in Real-Time Strategy Games, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

Isabel Tweraser (2017). Using Time to Interactively Evolve Animations, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

Isabel Tweraser (2017). Breedesizer: Evolving Original Sounds With Neural Networks, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (software).

Lauren Gillespie, and Gabriela Gonzalez (2017). Comparing Direct and Indirect Encodings Using Both Raw and Hand-Designed Features in Tetris, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software). 1st Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

Alex Rollins (2017). Balancing Selection Pressures, Multiple Objectives, and Neural Modularity to Coevolve Cooperative Agent Behavior, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software). 2nd Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

Gabriela Gonzalez, and Lauren Gillespie (2017). Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Tetris Play Using Raw Screen Inputs, Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Sciences. (movies, software). Best Poster Presentation Award in Mathematics and Computer Science

Alex Rollins (2017). Balancing Selection Pressures, Multiple Objectives, and Neural Modularity to Coevolve Cooperative Agent Behavior, Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Sciences. (movies, software).

Lauren Gillespie (2016). Picbreeder: The Evolution of Art Inside of a Computer, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

Gabriela Gonzalez, and Lauren Gillespie (2016). Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Tetris Play Using Raw Screen Inputs, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

Alex Rollins (2016). Selection Pressures in Evolutionary Computation, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (software).

Undergraduate Research Students

Summer 2023

Joanna Lewis '24
Travis Rafferty '24

Summer 2022

Alejandro Medina '24
Mark Mueller '24
Mel Richey '23

Summer 2021

Anna Wicker '24
Maxx Batterton '23

Summer 2020

Kirby Steckel '21
Benjamin Capps '22

Summer 2019

Jake Gutierrez '21
Aleksandr Nazaruk '21

Summer 2018

Adina Friedman '19
Devon Fulcher '19
Bryan Hollingsworth '20
Will Price '19

Summer 2017

Sarah "Darwin" Johnson '20
Alice Quintanilla '20
Isabel Tweraser '19

Summer 2016

Lauren Gillespie '19
Gabriela Gonzalez '16
Alex Rollins '17

Miscellaneous

Summer 2023: AI Evolution of Machines in Minecraft: SCOPE Research Presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students
Summer 2023: SCOPE: Training AI in Minecraft with Dr. Jacob Schrum, video about my second summer focusing on research in Minecraft.
Spring 2023: Evolving Flying Machines in Minecraft Using Quality Diversity, presentation by Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller at the Southwestern University Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Symposium
Summer 2022: Generating Structures with AI in Minecraft: SCOPE Research Presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students
Summer 2021: Quality Diversity and Creative Divergent Search: SCOPE Research Presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students
Fall 2020: Procedural Content Generation for Games with Generative Adversarial Networks: Presentation for the Games AI Research Group at Queen Mary University of London (video)
Fall 2020: Interactively Evolving Video Game Levels with Generative Adversarial Networks: 403 Lecture for Math and CS Department
Fall 2020: Evolving Mega Man Levels with Generative Adversarial Networks: Virtual SCOPE Open House Website
Fall 2020: Evolving Lode Runner Levels with Generative Adversarial Networks: Virtual SCOPE Open House Website
Summer 2020: Former SCOPE student Adina Friedman and I are both quoted in this article about AI companions: An Ode to AI Sidekicks
Summer 2020: Generating Video Game Levels Using AI: SCOPE Research Presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students
Summer 2019: Playing and Creating Games With Deep Neural Networks: "Mad Science Monday" presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students
Spring 2019: Patience, Grit, and an Open Mind: An article about my former student Lauren Gillespie which references me and our work on both Tetris and AnimationBreeder
Spring 2019: Infinite Art Gallery: A Game World of Interactively Evolved Artwork, presentation by Bryan Hollingsworth at the Southwestern University Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Symposium
Spring 2019: Evolving an Intelligent Ms. Pac-Man Agent Under Partially Observable Conditions, presentation by Will Price at the Southwestern University Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Symposium
Spring 2019: Desirable Behaviors for Companion Bots in First-Person Shooters, presentation by Adina Friedman at the Southwestern University Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Symposium
Fall 2018: Musician Presents Research at International Computer Science Conference: An article about my former student Isabel Tweraser which references me and our work on AnimationBreeder
Fall 2018: The cover of SIGEVOlution Volume 11, Issue 4 features art generated by AnimationBreeder, the interactive evolution system described in a GECCO 2018 paper co-authored with SU students. SIGEVO is the ACM Special Interest Group on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation.
Fall 2018: Evolutionary Computation Applied to Digital Entertainment and the Arts, poster presented at the President's Appreciation Celebration for Southwestern University donors.
Fall 2018: SCOPE student Will Price (Squillyprice01) won first place in the Ms. Pac-Man track of the Ms. Pac-Man Vs. Ghost Team Competition for our MsPacManEntry.
Summer 2018: Neuroevolution in Video Games: "Mad Science Monday" presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students
Spring 2018: Comparing Direct and Indirect Encodings Using Both Raw and Hand-Designed Features in Tetris, presentation by Lauren Gillespie at the Southwestern University Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Symposium
Spring 2018: Querying Across Time to Interactively Evolve Animations, presentation by Isabel Tweraser at the Southwestern University Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Symposium
Spring 2018: Hands-on Learning, an article about me for the Southwestern University Alumni Magazine.
Fall 2017: Creating Art Through Function Composition: presented to Southwestern University students as a 107 Lecture.
Summer 2017: Evolutionary Computation for Creativity and Intelligence: "Mad Science Monday" presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students
Summer 2016: SU team developing robot brain. An article in the Williamson County Sun about my Summer SCOPE research.
Summer 2016: Computer Science Majors Develop Artificial Intelligence for Video Games, an article about my Summer SCOPE research.
Summer 2016: Evolutionary Computation for Creativity and Intelligence: "Mad Science Monday" presentation made by my SCOPE Summer research students to present to other SCOPE students
Fall 2015: Slides on Artificial Intelligence Research in Video Games (also PDF) presented at the SU CS Club to recruit for SCOPE.

Last Updated: 3/23/2025