Many national and regional meetings now include sessions on undergraduate research. Pi Mu Epsilon and the Mathematical Association of America award prizes and support to undergraduate speakers. The Council on Undergraduate Research, which sponsors research conferences for undergraduates from all fields, now has a Mathematical and Computer Sciences Division. It seems that undergraduate research can thrive in diverse locations and in diverse areas of mathematics. Good work and accessible questions are proliferating.
Students cite theorems of previous students and pose conjectures for their successors.
In 1990 the Association for Women in Mathematics established the Alice T. Schafer Prize for excellence in mathematics by an undergraduate woman. Joe took the idea to the CUPM Subcommittee on Undergraduate Research in Mathematics, chaired by John Greever. Stan Wagon took the idea to the MAA Coordinating Council on Awards, chaired by Henry Alder. The prize has some interesting features. To recognize the keenness of the competition, there is provision for a few honorable mentions.