Lisa Muller, assistant director and professor in the School of Natural Resources, received the Excellence in Elk Country Wildlife Researcher/Biologist Award from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF). They presented the award to Muller at the 2026 Elk Management Workshop in Lexington, Ky.

The award honors biologists and researchers for outstanding efforts in the management, research, and conservation of elk habitat. In 2024, Muller worked with RMEF, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources on a collaborative study examining elk reproduction rates and the survival of their calves into adulthood in East Tennessee.

Muller also received the James R. Cox Professorship Award for her achievements at the University of Tennessee. The three-year award honors faculty members for excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. It also includes a stipend for the recipient. Muller becomes the fifth faculty member from the School of Natural Resources to receive the professorship. Previous recipients from the School include Scott Schlarbaum, Don Hodges, Emma Willcox, and Neelam Poudyal.

Muller specializes in understanding how the interactions of biology, behavior, movements, and population genetics will increase our ability to manage wildlife. She uses physiological approaches and GPS-tracking technology to investigate management questions about mammals. Her projects focus on white-tailed deer and elk ecology.