In 2025, we celebrate a decade of impact — ten years of mentorship, professional growth, groundbreaking research and friendships that last a lifetime. Since its founding in 2015 by Dr. Jennifer McLoud-Mann, dean of the School of STEM and professor, and Dr. Casey Mann, professor, the Mathematics Research Experience for Undergraduates program has paved the way for students from underrepresented groups in mathematics research, including first-generation students, women and people from diverse racial backgrounds. Supported by the National Science Foundation, the REU continues to offer hands-on research opportunities that spark curiosity, build confidence, and prepare participants for success in graduate school and their future careers.

Over the past ten years, the program has hosted seven cohorts, six faculty mentors, 55 REU participants and six NREUP participants from across the country.

“We had 82 percent of our REU participants self-identify as being from an underrepresented group, which is outstanding for broadening participation,” McLoud-Mann said.

With its collaborative research environment, the REU program helps students get familiar with the setting of graduate school. Many students found this experience valuable and motivational, with 60% enrolling in graduate school after the program.

Ten years of transforming futures

What began in 2015 with McLoud-Mann as principal investigator and Mann, as co-PI, has grown into a decade-long tradition of research and mentorship. Each summer, the two-month REU program brings students together to explore mathematics research projects, enhance presentation skills, and build community through activities like group hikes and dinners.

The first 2015 cohort explored projects in tiling theory, knot theory, and optimization under the guidance of Mann, McLoud-Mann, and Loreto, respectively. Looking back at experiences of the first REU cohort, Loreto reflected on how Morgan Ascanio, a Mathematics alumna from the 2015 cohort who now works as an actuary at Symmetra, continues to stay connected with the program and has supported REU cohorts along the way — a testament to the program’s lasting impact.

Over the years, research areas expanded with the 2016 cohort to include image reconstruction with Dr. Thomas Humphries, associate professor, and in the 2017 cohort they offered matrix analysis with Dr. Pietro Paparella, professor. By 2019, Loreto as principal investigator and Humphries as co-PI secured funding for a National REU program through the Mathematical Association of America.

Loreto has served as co-PI investigator alongside Mann (PI) on the current grant, supporting the 2022, 2024 and 2025 REU cohorts. Many of the original faculty mentors remain actively involved, recognizing how transformative these experiences are for students. Discover how the 2024 cohort combined math and physics for an immersive research experience.

Loreto has been involved in the REU program since 2015, after McLoud-Mann and Mann invited her to join the inaugural cohort. “I was greatly impressed by their mentorship not only of their students but also of me, as they demonstrated the best ways to motivate and nurture students throughout the process,” shared Loreto. “Inspired by their example, I have continued to mentor REU students over the years and hope to serve as a PI on a future REU.”

Dr. Elizabeth Field, assistant professor, introduced an exciting new project with the 2025 cohort, exploring applications of topological data analysis in genetic stock identification. The cohort concluded the summer by presenting their research at the STEM Symposium.

Recognizing the legacy at the summer STEM Symposium

Every quarter, students present their research findings as part of the STEM Symposium. On Aug. 15, 2025, REU participants and their mentors gathered to celebrate and continue the program’s tradition of discovery and impact.

Dean McLoud-Mann kicked off the event by connecting with students, overviewing the last ten years of REUs in the School of STEM and sharing the intentional effort behind building a strong sense of community within the program. She emphasized how joining experiences like this can change the trajectory of one’s life.

The School of STEM has also successfully hosted REUs in Electrical Engineering, Physics and one in partnership with Heritage University that crossed disciplines in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Biotechnology research.

That sense of community is reflected in every cohort. Students collaborate, encourage one another, build lifelong connections, and expand their social and professional networks. Through this culture of mentorship and teamwork, they’ve contributed to more than 15 publications, delivered 12 presentations, and earned three awards.

McLoud-Mann celebrated the success of past participants, noting that some graduates went on to earn a master’s degree in mathematics before launching careers in actuarial sciences at local companies, while others pursued doctorates and now serve as assistant professors.

On a personal level, McLoud-Mann shared her own journey as a first-generation college student from a small town of just a thousand people, where opportunities were limited. While searching for her place, she found the McNair Scholars and LSAMP programs, experiences similar to the REU, that changed the course of her life. Those opportunities inspired her to become a professor and give back by creating pathways for other students, including the Mathematics REU at UW Bothell.

“I absolutely love experiential learning opportunities,” McLoud-Mann said. “These are the things that change lives.”

As we return to where this story began, one of the core goals of the Mathematics REU has always been to encourage students from underrepresented groups to pursue graduate school and continue their academic journey. For the past ten years, the REU program has accomplished exactly that and so much more.