On Thursday, July 28th, 2005 a dozen prospective students from New Mexico Tech toured the Refuge to learn about its mission and the role of scientific research on the Refuge. The students visited the east side of the Refuge, where most of the ongoing scientific research takes place, on their half day tour. Currently there are about 12 universities conducting approximately 60 research projects on the refuge. Much of the research falls under the umbrella of the National Science Foundation's Long Term Ecological Research program. In addition to visiting the various research sites, students also learned about the various careers available with the National Wildlife Refuge System.