Conducting geological research with undergraduates is a rewarding, yet challenging, business. Success requires a stable assemblage that can persist through the highs and lows, ups and downs of a dynamic field. In order to work, the undergraduate research system must achieve equilibrium among its three components: student, project, and mentor.

Student- Students must be kinetically energetic; however, an undergraduate student is not a graduate student. This makes the student component of the system more stable at low pressures, but rather unstable at high pressures. An undergraduate student's expectations for success may be as high as a graduate student's, but the parameters are not as clearly defined. Much enthusiasm balances little experience.

Project- The project component in undergraduate research must contain the essential elements typical of any research endeavor: scientific relevance, potential for funding, and probability for publication. The composition of the research question may be a pure end-member or a solid solution, but in either case it must be well-characterized.

Mentor- The faculty mentor must be an active researcher in the project. A component which only supervises or administrates research will prevent the necessary reactions from occurring, and will ensure metastability in the system. Professionalism is very important because mentoring is more than teaching. Most learning will be through observation, with only limited education occurring through direct instruction.