Graduate school is an important step toward an individual’s entrance into his/her profession. Activity in professional societies is regarded as an indispensable part of a natural resource manager’s career. All graduate students should be members and take an active part in their respective professional societies.
Society of American Foresters – Student Chapter
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) ‑ Student Chapter is chartered by the SAF national organization and the East Tennessee chapter of the Kentucky‑Tennessee SAF. All students enrolled in the School of Natural Resources are eligible for membership in SAF through student membership in the UT Chapter. Application for membership should be made through the Faculty Advisor for SAF.
Student Wildlife and Fisheries Society (SWSF)
The Student Wildlife and Fisheries Society is comprised of members of the UTK Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society and the Tennessee Student Fisheries Association of the American Fisheries Society, as well as other interested students. Objectives, purposes, activities and principles are those established by The Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society, which include the conservation, management, and wise use of the wildlife and fisheries resources of the world. More specifically, the SWFS provides an opportunity for better liaison between the individual member, regional activities, and the parent Societies. It serves to focus the aims and objectives of the parent Societies upon professional wildlife/fisheries needs, problems and events at the state level. Full membership is available to any member of The Wildlife Society/American Fisheries Society in good standing, and affiliate membership is available in SWFS to those persons not members of the parent organizations. Meetings are held monthly during the school year. Graduate students in wildlife/fisheries should be members of both the parent society and the SWFS. Graduate students in Forestry who have an interest in wildlife/fisheries are encouraged to join SWFS.
Student Chapter of the Wildlife Disease Association
The Student Chapter of the Wildlife Disease Association combines students, faculty, and staff from across the Institute of Agriculture who are interested in wildlife health. Student members include undergraduate and graduate students from the School of Natural Resources and graduate and veterinary students from the College of Veterinary Medicine. Meetings are held every 2 weeks during the school year.
Honorary Societies
Honorary societies to which graduate students in the School can be nominated include Xi Sigma Pi (Forestry), Gamma Sigma Delta (Agricultural and Natural Resources Research), Alpha Zeta (Agriculture), and Sigma Xi (Scientific Research). Students nominated for membership in one of these societies should consider that such memberships represent important elements of their overall academic credentials.
