Assessment of a Summer Undergraduate Research Program Focused on Biomedical Engineering and Diabetes

Undergraduate research experiences have the potential to influence the career plans and motivation of young engineers and scientists. However, the impact of these experiences on the students may depend on the nature of the interactions with their research mentors and laboratory staff. From 2006-2010, 10-15 students participated annually in this 10-week NSF-funded summer Biomedical Engineering Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Over the ten week program, students were expected to complete a challenging research project focused on engineering approaches to the study and treatment of diabetes and its complications while working with the faculty mentor. In this paper, we describe our five-year experience with the research program, preliminary assessment of project goals, and observations on what constitutes a positive research experience.