Summer Research, Lasting Impact: NHERI REU Success Stories
Published on April 29, 2026
Every summer, a select cohort of undergraduates arrives at NSF-funded research facilities across the country. For 8-10 weeks – sleeves rolled up – they investigate ways to protect communities from extreme events like earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and windstorms, landslides and flooding.
This is the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program hosted by the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure network, NHERI — all supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
The program's impact is clear: nearly 60% of NHERI REU alums have gone on to graduate programs, with 11 earning the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship – one of the most competitive honors in STEM, held by future Nobel laureates and National Academy members.
To illustrate the impact of NSF's investment in the next generation, we want to share our NHERI REU alumni stories. Visit our alumni spotlights page to see where they are now.
2025 NHERI REU cohort in front of Large Wave Basin in the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University, during the NHERI REU Research Symposium.