pursue independent research projects duringthe first three semesters of their undergraduate experience. In this large-scale program, severalhundred freshman students in the College of Natural Sciences begin their freshman year byenrolling in a research methods course and then transition to a research stream for their second andthird semesters, in which they participate in authentic research projects as part of a laboratorygroup [10]. Students earn course credit that substitutes for required introductory courses in theirmajors. Although tenured and tenure-track faculty members set the research directions and provideguidance for the research streams, post-doctoral research educators provide day-to-day guidance,instruction, and mentoring, allowing