CS Area Reading Groups

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The Computer Science Area Reading Groups program connects mentors and mentees to practice the art of paper reading while learning about cutting-edge research.

Overview

Reading research papers is a difficult, yet important, task that helps build awareness about the exciting innovations within and outside of computer science. For this reason, the CS(ARGS) program aims to expose students to research in any area of computer science, with a primary focus on teaching the fundamental skill of paper reading. Mentees are grouped with mentors who will lead discussion groups on their desired research topics for that semester. The exact frequency and style of meetings may vary depending on the mentor, but this is intended to be a lightweight and accessible commitment for both sides.

Who can participate?

• Mentors: Master's students, Ph.D. students, Postdoctoral scholars, and above in Computer Science. 
• Mentees: Undergraduates and Master's students.

What are the expectations?

At a high level: Mentors are expected to lead their ARG (Area Reading Group) by providing readings and facilitating discussions. Mentees are expected to prepare for meetings according to their mentor's suggestions and attend and actively participate in meetings. Read more about the expectations at the following links:

Mentor Expectations

Mentee Expectations

Why should I participate?

• As a mentor, you get to lead a reading group for undergraduates, pursue a lightweight teaching opportunity, introduce undergraduates to interesting research, and sharpen your presentation and teaching skills.
• As a mentee, you get to learn about a cool research area, identify what research topics you like and don’t like in a low-pressure setting, practice paper reading, and connect with a mentor.

How do I get involved?

Check out this document! (illinois.edu sign-in required)

Questions

The best way to get your questions answered is by joining our Slack, which you can find in the document above. However, you can also email the Program Coordinators listed below.

Acknowledgments

This program was started in 2026 by Indu Panigrahi, Landon Johnson, and Michael Noguera. In addition to the faculty support listed below, we'd like to acknowledge Isaac Love, Brad Solomon, Tal August, and Hannah Gainer for their help in the initial stages of this program.

We'd also like to thank all the mentors and mentees who have participated and made this program possible: