For the last three years, New Mexico State University political science, public law and administration professor Neil Harvey has led undergraduates from across the country in a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) program about immigration on the U.S-Mexico border.

“For undergraduates, it’s sometimes difficult to get an interesting research project that’s paid and has this experience of going somewhere else on a topic that they’re passionate about, so this REU is really a great thing.” said Harvey, principal investigator of the NSF REU.

From DePaul University in Illinois to California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, eleven undergraduates from universities across the country met at NMSU and its partner institution, the University of Texas at El Paso, to participate in the summer research program. Together, the students spent nine weeks traveling between Las Cruces, El Paso and Ciudad Juárez to visit migrant shelters, collaborate with faculty and students at El Colegio de Chihuahua, work with community partner organizations and conduct research to develop their final projects.