In this talk, I will present on my experiences and ideas related to teaching across three different institutions (USU, Colby College, and UCSB). First, I will discuss my approach to lower division math classes that emphasizes interdisciplinary applications of mathematics to physics and engineering. Second, I will talk about my experiences with engaging undergraduate students in my research program, in particular as it relates to Kummer surfaces and string dualities in mathematical physics. I will showcase the results of three of my recent undergraduate researchers with respect to 1) period integrals on Kummer surfaces and their relation to special function identities 2) explicit relations between theta functions of genus two and 1 from geometry, and 3) new normal forms of non-principally polarized Kummer surfaces. I will also discuss plans for future involvement of undergraduates in hands-on research.