Mentoring students at the collegiate level is a passion and truly a gift.  All students are entitled to this privilege as it is vital for their success and retention throughout their academic career.  For underrepresented minorities, the formation of a stable mentoring relations runs parallel to their ability to grow, thrive, and survive in college. Many of these students are draw to a good mentor as bees are to honey. Why? Because to them a good mentor is more than an academic adviser or department liaison.  To URM, a good mentor is a counselor, a life coach, a surrogate parent.  We are there to not only keep them academically aligned but to keep them in line with their social and emotional issues that find its way into their minds as they struggle to figure out who they are and where they are going in life. 

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The successful incorporation of students, especially undergraduates the APRL is based on several things: 1) To develop projects that provide students with research opportunities with interesting and relevant research questions in order to gain hands-on experience and 2) To develop projects, or aspects of overall projects that match the advancing skill level of students so that they are inspired, and not overwhelmed or discouraged 3) To provide a safe and fun environment for students to strive. The organization of the research efforts in my laboratory directly enables me to have an emphasis on undergraduate student mentoring. Students are not only trained in the synthesis of the polymer but also trained in the operation of various types of equipment needed to characterize the polymers and determine their structure property relationships.  Additionally, students are taught how to communicate their findings at weekly group meeting and presentations at regional and national conferences.