Little attention has been given to the synergistic relationship that can exist between experimental economics research and undergraduate research experiences. In this article, we highlight the successes and challenges from working with more than 70 undergraduate research assistants at the University of Delaware’s Center for Experimental and Applied Economics (CEAE) since 2007. We describe our approaches for funding and engaging undergraduate students and efforts, including our layered mentorship network, to support CEAE’s mission to cultivate a diverse and inclusive research community. We present the results of a survey of CEAE’s alumni to understand how their research experiences influenced their undergraduate education and their post-graduate educational and career endeavors. Synthesizing the reflections of students and the experiences of lead researchers, we outline ten key recommendations regarding how faculty and administrators in agricultural and applied economics programs can design and implement successful undergraduate research experiences, strengthening the pipeline of researchers in our field.

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