PURM 14.2 (2026): Federally Funded Undergraduate Research Programs: What is at Stake

Letter from the Guest Editors

Claudia Scholz, Ph.D.
Director for Research Development, University of Virginia

Laura Wagner, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, The Ohio State University

Research Articles

Barriers to Participating in Undergraduate Research: Implications for Hispanic-Serving Institutions

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Tissyana C. Camacho, Ph.D., California State University, Northridge
Natalie Schaal, Ph.D., California State University, Northridge
Ricardo Medina, Ph.D., California State University, Northridge
Crist Khachikian, Ph.D., California State University, Northridge
Gabriela Chavira, Ph.D., California State University, Northridge

Science Identity Development Among Community College Students: A Thematic Analysis of Reflective Blog Posts During a Summer REU

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Mirna Mendoza Wilson, Ed.D., Rice University
Faiza Zafar, Ph.D., Rice University
Diego Lopez, M.P.A., Rice University
Carolyn Nichol, Ph.D., Rice University
Matthew Cushing, M.S., Rice University

Making Students STEM Ready: Building a Bridge Between 2-Year and 4-Year Institutions

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Julia Zavalam, Ph.D., Mercy University
Renee Haskew-Layton, Ph.D.*, Mercy University
Andrew Lin, M.S., Mercy University
Stuart Sidle, Ph.D., Mercy University
Genevieve Prezioso, M.S., Westchester Community College
Raylene Luna, M.A., Cobblestone Applied Research & Evaluation, Inc.
Rebecca Eddy, Ph.D., Cobblestone Applied Research & Evaluation, Inc.

Student Perspective

Becoming a Researcher: How NSF REU Participation Creates Self-Determined Researchers

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Santiago Duque-Baird, B.S., University of Delaware
Brianna Huynh, M.S., California State Polytechnic University–Pomona

Dialogues

Enhancing Undergraduate Research Experiences through Community and Science Communication

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London N. Dixon, B.A., University of Maryland
Sabrina C. Adaba, M.A., CUNY Graduate Center
Sarah E. White, B.A.,  The Ohio State University
Kathryn Campbell-Kibler, Ph.D.,  The Ohio State University
Nikole D. Patson, Ph.D.,  The Ohio State University
Laura Wagner, Ph.D., The Ohio State University

Undergraduates at Sea: Leveraging a Research Vessel Transit for Mentored Learning and Broadening Participation in Ocean Sciences

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M. Kelsey Lane, Ph.D., Oregon State University
Leda Dowd, University of California, Los Angeles
Dakota Baxter, B.S., Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Jamie George, B.S., Coastal Carolina University

How Undergraduate Training Programs Make Science Better: Research We Would Not Have Known Was Needed Without Our Students’ Contributions
Mandy J. Maguire, Ph.D., Candice M. Mills, Ph.D., Jackie Nelson, Ph.D., Pamala Rollins, Ph.D., Jingyi Xu, Ph.D., Raven Bacchas, B.S., Paola Golemon, M.S., Yilin Liu, M.S.
University of Texas at Dallas

Case Studies

Reciprocal Empowerment to Re-humanize Language Sciences: The First Two Cycles of the NSF-REU Intersection of Linguistics, Language and Culture
Isabelle Barrière, Ph.D., Saint Elizabeth University; City University of New York
Jonathan Nissenbaum, Ph.D., City University of New York
Margareth Lafontant, Ph.D., M.S.Ed., City University of New York; Developmental Systems Inc.

Challenges, Opportunities and Outcomes of Developing a Unique REU Program in Biology Focusing on Community College Students
between their First and Second Years
Corey L. Cleland, Ph.D., James Madison University
Bisi T. Velayudhan Ph.D., James Madison University

Training the Next Generation of Natural Resource Scientists: Outcomes and Benefits of REU and REEU Programs
Ashley N. Schulz, Ph.D., Mississippi State University
Adam D. Polinko, Ph.D., Mississippi State University
Steven H. Bullard, Ph.D., Mississippi State University
Leslie M. Burger, Ph.D., Mississippi State University
Jasmine D. Hendrix, Ph.D., Mississippi State University
C. Elizabeth Stokes, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

From Investment to Impact: How NSF REU Programs Shape STEM Pathways and the Scientific Workforce
Bridget Smith-Konter, Ph.D., Northern Arizona University; University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Sloan Coats, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Alyssa Kamanu, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Paul Wessel, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

A New REU and RET Paradigm: Bridging Undergraduate Research and K–12 STEM Education
Ms. Tracy Vassiliev, James F. Doughty Middle School
Douglas J. Gardner, Ph.D., University of Maine
David J. Neivandt, Ph.D., University of Maine

13 Years of Undergraduate Heliophysics Research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Mehmet Sarp Yalim, Ph.D., The University of Alabama
Gary Paul Zank, Ph.D., The University of Alabama

Invited Viewpoint

Sustaining Career Pathway Programs Across the Sciences
Chie Togami, Ph.D., State University of New York
Valentina González-Rostani, Ph.D., University of Southern California
Yeneca Lee, B.A., University of Pittsburgh
Tania Ramirez, M.A., University of Pittsburgh
Fernando Tormos-Aponte, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh