Arkansas Tech University students were among the award winners at the 2025 joint meeting of the Arkansas chapters of the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society during the final week of February.
ATU students made five oral presentations and displayed nine research posters during the meeting, which took place at the 4-H Center in Little Rock.
Arkansas Tech alumni and graduate students who work for Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, Natural Resource Conservation Service and other agencies were among those in attendance.
ATU undergraduate and graduate students who won awards during the meeting were:
- Eli Schmidt, senior from Mountain Home, Outstanding ATU American Fisheries Society Student Subunit Member Award
- Harley Walden, senior from Cabot, Best Fisheries Student Poster Presentation Award, “Can Assessment of Morphometrics Correctly Predict Species in Madtoms?” (Faculty advisors: Dr. Chris Kellner and Dr. Kyler Hecke)
- Asa Chism, senior from Benton, Best Fisheries Undergraduate Oral Presentation Award, “Freshwater Mussel Survey of Upper War Eagle Creek” (Alumni advisor: Dr. Kendall Moles, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission)
- Savannah Wise, graduate student from Queen City, Texas, Best Fisheries Graduate Oral Presentation Award, “Exploring the Distribution and Occupancy of the Rocky Shiner in Arkansas” (Faculty advisor: Dr. John Jackson)
- Tara Schnelting, graduate student from Gerald, Mo., Graduate Natural State Fisheries Scholarship (Faculty advisor: Dr. Kyler Hecke)
- Kai Scarangella, graduate student from Leonia, N.J., Best Wildlife Graduate Poster Presentation Award, “Using Environmental DNA to Evaluate the Distribution and Abundance of Western Chicken Turtles” (Faculty advisor: Dr. Doug Barron)
Visit www.atu.edu/stem/bioearthsciences/fishwildlife/index.php to learn more about the ATU fisheries and wildlife program.
