Three-Year Study of the Impact of a Research Experience Program in Aerospace Engineering on Undergraduate Students

This study reports results from a three-year implementation of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation in aerospace engineering at a public research university in the southwestern United States. A total of 35 students, who were citizens or permanent residents selected from across the United States, participated in the REU program for 10 weeks during the summers of 2017 through 2019, and 23 completed both presurveys and postsurveys on career goals and research experiences. Most students initially expressed a desire to pursue graduate education and research, but there was a slight decrease in this after the program. Students’ perceptions of research knowledge, skills, and engineering career paths were all positively affected.