Examples of graduate student projects include determining the importance of salmon and other meat resources to bear productivity, the value of wild berries for fall fat accumulation, the nutritional importance of herbage, the historical and current diets of numerous wild populations, and milk intake and growth of cubs nursed by their mothers. Field study locations have ranged from Wyoming to Alaska. The WSU Bear Program is directed by Charles Robbins, an internationally recognized authority on wildlife nutrition. The program has been supported by federal and state wildlife conservation agencies, federal research foundations, and private donations. Private donations are particularly important in enriching the lives of the captive bears and in providing support for students.
Volunteers provide tours and lectures to groups wanting to know about more about the bears.