We have served as a National Science Foundation-supported ResearchExperience for Undergraduates (REU) site, which supports 15 summerinterns, since the summer of 1994. Each year, several additionalstudents, supported by other means including departmental support andREU supplements, were also incorporated into the program. Sinceinception, the retention has been 100%, as all the students who enteredthe program completed their internship. The program has maintained highacademic standards as well as a high representation of minorities (29%)and females (47%) in the program. Student participants are followedpost-program to provide documentation of their pursuit of advanceddegrees, and career choices. A large proportion (70%) of the students inour program who have completed their undergraduate degree have enteredgraduate programs and medical schools. We have recruited heavily from agreat number of colleges and universities in and around the WesternPennsylvania region, from Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs), and enrolled a large number (46%) of outstanding students fromprimarily undergraduate institutions. National efforts should bedirected to fund more of these programs and thus provide opportunitiesfor a larger number of interested students to participate. Finally, theadvisor selection process proved very effective. Out of a total of about75 students enrolled in the program thus far, only one student wasunsatisfied with the initial selection of a faculty mentor, this issuewas identified and resolved in the first week by changing the advisor
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