As part of Middle Tennessee State University's (MTSU's) initiative to improve retention of at-risk STEM majors, they recruit first-time, full-time freshman STEM majors with mathematics ACT scores of 19 to 23 to participate in MTSU's "Mathematics as a FirstSTEP to Success in STEM" project (FirstSTEP). This article overviews MTSU's…

It is necessary while mentoring students in undergraduate research to conduct assessments in order to determine how well the research experience is progressing. It may also be necessary to assign a grade to a student's performance at the conclusion of such a venture. Journaling may be used both as a formative assessment tool and as a summative…

In this paper, we discuss the challenges of organizing a large REU program amalgamated from multiple funding sources, including diverse participants, mentors, and research projects. We detail the program's structure, activities, and recruitment, and we hope to demonstrate that the organization of this REU is not only beneficial to its…

Interdisciplinary undergraduate research experiences often require students to work in teams with other students and researchers from different disciplines, creating a need for development of new skills in interdisciplinary collaboration. In this paper, we describe our unique efforts to mentor participants in developing these skills during our…

This article offers some insights into successfully engaging students in research. While most schools encourage undergraduate research, there is little guidance specific to mathematics on how to make it a rewarding experience for both the student and the advisor. With a small support group and a goal-oriented time line, students will be able to…