This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMassD) provides an exciting residential setting for summer cohorts of eight community college students to participate in interdisciplinary research in advanced materials relevant to marine economy. This program begins with training sessions on safe laboratory practices, research ethics, design of experiments, research communication skills, and library databases. This 10-weeks program provides students with hands-on experience in interdisciplinary research, including hypothesis development, experimental design, and data analysis & interpretation. This program also offers field trips to local industries and national research laboratories, and workshops on professional networking and career preparation. The summer research program culminates with a closing symposium, and an open forum on industry and research careers with invited eminent marine materials scholars. This interdisciplinary site integrates the efforts of dedicated educators from three departments (Bioengineering, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and Mechanical Engineering) who have strong track records in mentoring students for research. The summer activities are designed to assist community college students seeking jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields or pursuing education in four-year research universities, and to develop meaningful relationships with faculty and students. Innovative m