• Why should the staff of my laboratory spend time with undergraduates who may not even be majoring in the sciences or engineering?
• Won’t participating in these workshops slow down the primary work of my laboratory?

• What do SERTS workshops add to my course?
• How do I begin to incorporate workshops into my class?
• Do I have to modify my lectures or conform to a particular pedagogical style?
• How do I let students know I am offering a SERTS class?
• How do I go about finding workshop leaders for my class?
• How do I select good workshop leaders?
• How are the workshop leaders trained?
• Will my colleagues be upset when a bunch of students shows up unannounced in their laboratory?
• How are workshops scheduled?

There are several reasons why research staff should participate in educating undergraduates.

1. Despite the fact that we live in a society in which basic research has provided technological and scientific advances, many people do not understand the process by which research leading to these advances is conducted. One of the best ways to provide this information is to welcome students into our laboratories.
2. Another reason to offer workshops is to facilitate the education of our graduate students. It is important for researchers to be able to communicate the significance of their research to the general public. One of the best ways for graduate students to gain this experience is to participate as a workshop leader.