FIG Visits APL-UW APL-UW staff often volunteer their time and expertise providing educational outreach opportunities to students and educators throughout the Pacific Northwest. Recently, the Laboratory hosted a special group of UW undergraduate students—participants in one of 135 FIGs (Freshman Interest Groups) on campus. FIGs consist of 20–25 freshmen with similar academic interests who are enrolled in the same class schedule during their first quarter on campus. Janice DeCosmo, Director of the Undergraduate Research Program, led her 24 freshmen seminar students to APL because they were all science and engineering majors who have expressed interest in medical research, oceanography, and engineering careers. "I think it is important for students to find out about research opportunities early on in their undergraduate careers. Some of them will be ready to start working in research right away, and the type of learning they experience in research will have a profound effect on how they view their coursework, and the subsequent educational choices they make," said DeCosmo. Bob Odom, Associate Director for Education Programs at APL-UW, introduced students to the Laboratory during a presentation in the Hardisty Conference Center. He described the physics and engineering problems associated with developing an unmanned underwater vehicle like Seaglider, measuring water temperature on ocean basin scales, and wiring an entire tectonic plate deep on the ocean floor for scientific observation. Students were then led to one of the Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound laboratories. There Odom discussed research involving the use of lithotripsy to treat kidney stones and physics major Ryan Ollos demonstrated streaming induced in a water bath by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Laboratory tours such as these give students a glimpse into the many opportunities for research at the university and will hopefully inspire them to pursue research in a field that excites them. DeCosmo described APL as "… one of the best places on campus for undergraduates to participate in research." APL-UW staff mentor dozens of undergraduate researchers each year. Perhaps some students from this FIG will participate in Laboratory research projects in the future.