Washington State University's goal is to provide a 10-week research experience to undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds. These students will work on their own research project together with a faculty mentor in physics and astronomy and a team of graduate students and postdocs within a research group. Example projects span four major themes connected by the common concept of waves. The REU program synergizes with other interdisciplinary STEM summer research programs across the Washington State University (WSU) campus in Pullman Washington to enable unique social activities and professional development opportunities. The end of the internship culminates in a poster presentation at the WSU Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium in early August.