stUdent neWs
Welcome to the family
January was a hot month for student chapters. That month
The Wildlife Society approved the addition of three new student chapters, including Radford University (RU) in Virginia,
Western State College of Colorado, and the University of Rio
Grande in Ohio. First to come on board this year, the RU
chapter emerged from a club established in 2008 by a handful
of RU’s biology students. “As a club we could only do so much,”
says Jessica Sosnicki, co-president of the new student chapter.
“We are now recognized as a student chapter, which brings with
it many more available resources … and we get more publicity
in terms of getting additional members because we’re part of a
student chapter of a professional society.” Sosnicki, her fellow
officers, and approximately 30 members of the chapter have
planned a semester packed with activities. Among them, participation at The Virginia Chapter of TWS’s meeting in February,
a possible visit to the
Natural History Museum at Martinsville,
and helping out at the
ever-popular spring
bioblitz. “It’s a lot of
fun,” Sosnicki says,
anticipating a spurt in
RU’s Student Chapter
membership. After all,
as Sosnicki says, “Who
doesn’t want to hang
out with a bunch of
wildlife students and
go out in the field to
meet people?”
credit: RU-TWS
Attending the Radford University Student
chapter’s first meeting are advisor Karen
francl (in yellow), Garret Good (in red), Sarah
Bartz (center), Meghan Stump (seated, right),
Jessica Sosnicki, and dwight Meikle.
Workshop for Aspiring Wildlifers
At the upcoming annual Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference
in Newton, Massachusetts, the Northeast Section of TWS will host
a workshop for wildlife students interested in wildlife management as a career. Workshop discussions and activities will focus
on résumé building, interview skills, and certification. The theme
of this year’s three-day Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference,
which kicks off April 25, is Climate Change and Wildlife Conservation—Adaptation and Management.
student Grants Up for Grabs
Every year The Wildlife Society awards travel grants of up to $500
to TWS student members to present a technical paper or poster at
the Annual Conference. Student travel grant applications for the
upcoming conference in Snowbird, Utah, will be accepted from
May 14 to June 18, 2010. To qualify for these competitive grants, a
student must go through an extensive application process and be
accepted to present at a TWS symposium, a special poster session,
or a Student Research-in-Progress Poster Session. For more information, go to The Wildlife Society Annual Conference webpage.
TWS Chapter of the Year Award applications are due March 15
and Student Chapter of the Year Award applications are due June
30. For more information on the application process, go to the
TWS Awards page.
A Great start
The first annual Nebraska Student Conclave was a roaring success,
what with animal behavior charades (a depiction of group parasitism reigned supreme), eight hours’ worth of training sessions on
wildlife techniques, and an informal wildlife quiz bowl. More than
25 students from Nebraska’s State College and University System
as well as 15 professionals from numerous agencies participated in
the conclave, hosted by the Chadron State College Student Chapter
of TWS and funded by the Nebraska
Chapter of TWS. “I would recommend
this event to anyone interested in pursuing a wildlife career,” says Amber
Fandrich, member of the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln TWS Student
Chapter and participant at the conclave. “The helpful job tips, hands-on
techniques, and passion of the people
who put it together were unmatched.”
Students and professionals also participated in Flying WILD, a Council for
Environmental Education program,
where they engaged in “adaptation
artistry”—drawing birds that would be
adapted to their environment. At the
end of the program, participants received a Flying WILD educator’s guide
and a certificate of completion.
credit: Teresa Zimmerman
Justin Powell of chadron State
college creates a bird adapted
to its environment during the
Nebraska Student conclave’s
“adaptive artistry” event.
2010 student Conclaves
here’s a quick reminder on upcoming student conclaves: Texas A&M University-Kingsville will host the Western Student conclave from March
12-15; frostburg State University will host the Southeastern Student conclave from March 18-20; and Purdue University will host the Midwest
Student conclave from March 26-28. for more information, go to www.wildlife.org.
