Undergraduate Research - A Critical Tool in Building a Thriving Undergraduate Physics Program

A thriving undergraduate physics program depends on many things, not the least of which are building a sense of community within the department and ensuring high visibility for your program outside your department. Engaging undergraduates in research can help your department achieve these and other important objectives, attracting greater numbers of highly-motivated students to your program. Among others, the discussion will cover topics such as ``the right time'' to engage undergraduates in research, how to build a nationally visible research program that can help faculty attract external research funding, and the role of nationally competitive scholarships in building a successful program.