News Release
For Immediate Release — September 2, 2009
UT Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society
Named International Chapter of the Year
The University of Tennessee Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society (UT TWS) has been named the 2009 Student Chapter of the Year, an international honor.
More than one hundred student chapters in the United States and Canada were invited to apply for the award. UT was chosen as first among this pool based on their many diverse professional activities and accomplishments during the 2008-09 academic year.
Through seminars and speakers that emphasized professional certification, ethics, and a rabies and wildlife symposium, chapter members promoted professional standards for wildlife research, education and management. They engaged in learning and outreach on subjects as varied as bats, reptiles, feral cat colonies and wild turkey restoration. Chapter members took part and competed in the Southeastern Wildlife Conclave and also helped officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency at deer check stations.
The Student Fisheries Association, a subsection of the chapter, was active with the Tennessee state chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Students in this group and TWS presented papers at regional and national events.
“The UT Wildlife Society Student Chapter gives its members the opportunity to gain field experience and make professional contacts while pursuing their education,” says Jay Carr, UT TWS president for 2008-09. “Our Society worked hard to be involved with numerous projects, and it is very exciting to be rewarded on the national level for our efforts.”
As the winning student chapter, UT is eligible for a $1,000 travel grant to send a student delegation to The Wildlife Society’s 16th Annual Conference to be held in Monterey, Ca., September 20-24. In addition, the chapter is invited to give a presentation to The Wildlife Society’s Leaders Lunch to share their success story with other TWS leaders.
UT’s student chapter is advised by Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Instructor Billy Minser and Professor David Buehler. Each holds Certification through TWS. A college degree is a necessity in gaining post-graduation employment as a professional. But it is often not enough, says Minser. “Successful students need field experience and engagement with working professionals to build on classroom knowledge and to learn to address complex natural resources issues. Our Student Chapter provides those opportunities and this particular class excelled in taking full advantage of the opportunities they had—and were duly recognized.”
The Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries is one of eight departments within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The college offers academic programs in a variety of natural and social science based disciplines that apply that knowledge to the food, fiber and natural resources systems. Faculty also support students in various co-curricular activities from clubs and competition teams to professional and honor societies, and independent research and other creative endeavors.
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Contacts:
Billy Minser, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, 865-974-7126
Margot Emery, UTIA Marketing and Communications, 865-974-7141