2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

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Studies suggest Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs promote persistence in STEM fields, increased interest in graduate school, and development of identity as a researcher for REU participants. While most REU programs operate on a single campus, a growing number offer participants the opportunity to engage in research at geographically distributed campuses united around a common theme. Though logistically challenging, such a program can expand participants’ networks while maintaining a sense of cohort and community, which is important for researcher identity development. The current study investigates the outcomes of an REU Site run across four campuses within the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt). Participants to date have been 69% female and 39% from historically underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. Outcomes include participant skill-building, development of researcher identity, pursuit of graduate school, and pursuit of careers in STEM. Assessments include pre- and post-surveys (quantitative and qualitative), as well as longitudinal tracking of participants (n=97 over 7 years). Assessment results suggest this multi-campus site achieves participant-level and program-level impacts commensurate with those attained by single-campus REU Sites.