Our diverse students' backgrounds have provided them with unshakable determination and keen entrepreneurship making them invaluable resources to their labs. Many are hired by their labs to continue their research, and others participate in the NASA Space Grant research program. Nearly all finish college and several have continued their educations to receive PhD's.

Our program targets high achieving but possibly at-risk local community college students who plan to transfer to UA to finish their undergraduate degree. During the first two weeks, participants receive intensive pre-research training in machine shop skills (lathe, mill, etc.), programming (C, MatLab, etc.) and electronics (logic circuits, oscilloscopes, etc.). Visits are made to each of the participating labs so students can select research mentors whose interests are most closely aligned with their own. Participants also participate in a team-building activity designing PVC-catapults. These catapults are launched during the REU Reunion Cookout where current participants interact with previous participants to obtain useful advice and information. At the end of these two weeks, students are placed in the research labs and begin their projects.

During the remaining eight weeks, many social activities are organized to keep participants connected to one another. Participants also meet most Friday mornings to discuss and present their research. These meetings are designed to build participants' comfort levels at presenting their research in a progressive manner:

• Just for fun practice presentation (8 minutes max + 2 for questions).
• Practice Research Presentation (8+2): no guests, peer feedback via comment cards.
• Semi-Practice Research Presentations (10+2): core research mentors invited only.
• Research Presentation (10+2): all faculty/mentors invited, all guests/family welcome.

• Matt Bunting (REU 2006 & 2008) announced ACE Student of the Year! (2010-2011) Read here (or if unavailable our backup). See him in a YouTube interview.
• Kyle Rine (REU 2009) and Paul Rheinheimer publish: Metal and Metalloid Contaminants in Atmospheric Aerosols from Mining Operations, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, accepted Feb 2011. Janae Csavina, Andrea Landázuri, Anna Wonaschütz, Kyle Rine, Paul Rheinheimer, Brian Barbaris, William Conant, A. Eduardo Sáez and Eric A. Betterton
• Kyle Rine (REU 2009) promoted by Eric Betterton (Dept Chair of Atmos Sci) to Laboratory Director replacing retiring senior scientist (and wonderful REU mentor) Brian Barbaris!
• Dr. Pitucco demands good teaching over misused technology at a national conference: article,   article with reader comments,   original link as long as it lasts.
• Matt Bunting (REU 2006 & 2008) achieves robotic successes: UA article