Here are some comments we received from our summer, 2005 group.

The group of people was very diverse ethnically, culturally, and intellectually. The different mix of personalities and abilities made for a very productive and rewarding summer.... The problems picked were interesting and accessible, and Dr. Chapman was available and supportive throughout the summer....My participation in the program gave me a better feel for what one would do in mathematics and confirmed an interesting research. I met great friends and wonderful people. The program gave me experience that I could not have gotten elsewhere.... It was a really wonderful and complete experience for me, not just academically but also personally.

One of the strongest aspects of the Trinity REU is the variety of research available and the amount of experience in the Trinity staff.... I was very impressed with the program and right now don't see any need for improvement....The most important aspect of the REU is that I have gained a better appreciation for math, and though I spent the summer doing math, I am excited to get back into classes.

The strongest aspect for me was the good scholastic atmosphere created by the participants. I also felt like the intermediate presentations and midterm paper were a good idea for reducing last minute panic....It's helped me learn to focus on a problem for a long time and independently direct myself towards greater knowledge on it.

I was most impressed by my interactions with my advisor. We had regular meetings which helped the group stay on track, yet at the same time our advisor's input kept to a minimum, allowing us a lot of freedom and creativity with the project. The experience of navigating the problem with only a small amount of guidance was invaluable....More than anything, the REU has confirmed my interest in mathematics. Being around other people who are excited by math helps me maintain my own excitement. Additionally, getting to work on an open problem has jump-started my creativity; with course work one doesn't usually have the luxury of pondering many different avenues of attack.... Overall, I'm very satisfied by my experience here. The program is well run and organized and I learned a lot about math research.

I think the strongest aspect of the Trinity REU Program is the group research environment. The program is highly research-oriented and encourages cooperation and collaboration on research problems. I feel that I've gotten a lot out [of] my experience at the Trinity REU.... One think I liked about this REU was the selection of students. I felt like people came from all areas of interest, and from very varied backgrounds, which I feel contributes a lot to the experience.... I feel that I've gained an appreciable for the kind of skills it takes to do mathematical research. I've enjoyed my experience and hope to continue pursuing mathematical research by going to grad school.... I considered several other offers. I chose Trinity for a couple [of] reasons: a. After communicating with 2 alumni, I got a good impression of the program. b. The web site prominently displays that previous research projects have been published. This was a key factor for me because I want my work to be published. c. The program director expressed genuine interest in my application.

I think one of the major strengths of the Trinity REU is the focus on research and collaborating in groups. Each project has 4-2 students working together to solve the problem. This allows feedback and a free-flow exchange of ideas. With that said, one of the weaknesses in the program is not effectively managing each group. Some of the groups seemed to work very well together, and this was helped with encouragement from the project manager. .... Another strength of the program is the easy accessibility to the project that was given to us. I feel like the work I was doing this summer was at an appropriate level given my previous mathematical knowledge..... The biggest strengths of the program I feel is the people they bring into it. All of the other students are very diverse and different. They come from different backgrounds and educational experiences. I enjoyed learning and talking from the other students very much. If anything, the older ones taught me the most about what my mathematical life is going to be like in 1 to 2 years time. I greatly enjoyed their company, and unique ideas that each one brought about like and mathematics. I also enjoyed talking and learning from the other professors in the program who were not my program director. They create an atmosphere of support for all students of the program no matter if you are in their project or not..... Working on my project, and talking to the other students about math, has helped me see how the different areas in mathematics interact and can be used with each other. I have also learned that it is often helpful to view the problem you are working on in different ways because it may be easier to work on your problem in a way that doesn't seem the most direct route..... Overall I really enjoyed my experience and learned a lot about mathematics as a field. I feel like I know more of what to expect if I was to go on to graduate school in mathematics. I think the program here at Trinity is very well organized and run in general.

The strongest aspects of the program are its organization, well-selected problems, freedom, pacing, and professors who care... As a program, I find this one very well-structured.... I considered other offers, but Trinity drew me in with a well-organized web site and having two professors call me about my possible arrival. I felt welcomed already.

The strongest aspect of the program was the project selected by my advisor. Throughout the entire summer, I always had a specific problem to work on, which were both challenging and solvable.... This has been my first exposure to mathematical research. Not that I have an idea of how it works, I can more easily work on a project of my own back at my home institution.

One of the strongest aspects of this program is the freedom given to students and the focus on research. This provides an experience very different from a class. Being able to do math in a low pressure environment lets students explore their true enjoyment of math..... I have yet to decide on future career plans and my experience this summer has given me a good feel for what a career in mathematics (either academic or purely research) would entail. This summer really taught me how to balance group and individual work and use the resources of group members. Learning various computer programs (mathematical and not) has been and will be very useful..... I was very interested in the project offered by this program. The professors here were very friendly and eager to contact me. The location was very appealing - San Antonio is a beautiful city with a very unique culture.

The strongest aspects of the program are: - Getting to work with a group. - My Advisor did an excellent job of selecting an interesting and workable problem. - Great interaction with other REU'ers. - Great time flexibility (how we spend our time is up to us). - I liked the invitations for colloquiums. - Liked advice on graduate school.... It was a great experience. Thank you very much.