Group Study Projects, or GSPs, are small, specialized groups taught by expert faculty from various Tennessee agricultural schools. These hands-on projects allow scholars to experience firsthand the science and technology associated with agriculture and natural resources management. Students participating in TGSAS choose a topic similar to the list below.

Agricultural Engineering Technology: Biofuels, Alternative Energy, and Beyond
Biofuels, Wind, & Solar Energy – 3 weeks

• Biodiesel – Students will study the science associated with the production of biodiesel from agricultural crops.  Laboratory exercises will allow students to make their own biodiesel from waste vegetable oil/virgin cooking oil.
• Ethanol – Students will study the basic sciences associated with ethanol production using various sugar sources as a feedstock. Students will conduct a research study on the ethanol production from three different sugar sources.  Students will develop a written report on their research findings that follows all aspects of the Experimental Method.  The laboratory exercises will also include students actually making ethanol from corn grain.
• Methane Gas Production – Students will study the science of producing methane gas from livestock wastes (manures).  Laboratory exercise will allow students to produce methane gas from beef cattle waste.
• Students will develop individual written reports on other assigned topics associated with biofuels.  These reports provide students with an opportunity to share findings with their peers, while expanding the scope of their biofuels/alternative-energy knowledge.  

• Students will study the practical and theoretical aspects of generating electricity from wind and solar sources in Tennessee.  Hands-on activities will include setting up solar panels and wind-based generators. 
• Wind and solar energy data will be collected, assimilated, and presented at the conclusion of the TGSAS.  A written report will be developed on the research findings of the solar and wind experiments.
• Students will develop written reports on other assigned topics associated with alternative energy.

Agricultural Engineering Shop Procedures – 1 week

• Shop Safety – students will learn proper safety techniques related to all aspects of agricultural mechanics lab, with specific instruction in the areas of metal and woodworking.
• Basics of wood technology – tool identification, machine use, wood fasteners, wood finishing, and wood identification.  Estimating cost of construction using a bill of materials.
• Metal technology – basic electricity as it relates to welding, metal identification and basic properties, wire-feed welding, brazing, heat-treating, annealing, tempering, forging, fusion welding, arc welding, plasma cutter, drilling, and grinding. 
• Students will be assigned specific writing assignments (literature reviews) on topics associated with metalworking, electricity, and general shop procedures.  

Grow Your Own: Exploring Organic Farming

This group study project will look at aspects of organic vegetable production. We’ll discover what is involved in organic production, explore niche markets and visit some organic producers. The community garden will allow students to prepare and compare conventional row-style versus kitchen garden -style layouts. Also, using the community garden and greenhouse facilities we’ll evaluate organic options for weed and pest control. We’ll also investigate aspects of natural soil foods such as peat moss, compost, vermiculture and compost teas, bone and kelp meal, culminating with the creation of our own potting mixture. This activity will be mostly hands on and exploratory with a focus on the students discovering that ‘organic’ is more than just a label.

Veterinary Science GSP

The Veterinary Science GSP will present the students with the opportunity to observe and learn about the diversity of career opportunities in veterinary medicine, animal care of both farm and companion animals and perform a basic research project on companion animals from local humane shelters.  The companion animal research project will involve obtaining diagnostic samples, performing treatments, analyzing diagnostic samples and comparing the results.  The companion animals will then be returned to the humane shelters in better health and ready for adoption.  The students will familiarize themselves with pre-diagnostic, diagnostic and therapeutic options available in veterinary medicine.  The project will also include visits to humane shelters, veterinary clinics, swine farms, a dairy, an equine therapeutic riding center and the University teaching farm which is the home of cattle, sheep and horses.  The objective of the veterinary science project is to allow students the opportunity to observe hands on care and treatment for a variety of species while also learning the health needs of the individual animals themselves.  The students will also have the opportunity to observe necropsies in the West Tennessee Diagnostic Lab as cases are available.  Topics on different careers in veterinary medicine and different usages of our animal friends will also be discussed.  At the conclusion of the group study project, each student will leave with a greater understanding of and respect for the veterinary profession and the responsibility involved in caring for companion and farm animals. 

Wildlife & habitat analysis: a riparian habitat study.

This Group Study Project will examine the effects of streamside clearing for rowcrop and forage production on vertebrate and invertebrate diversity in these systems.  Students will study differences in density and diversity of vertebrates and invertebrates between a cleared streamside area and a forested streamside ecosystem on the UTM Agriculture and Natural Resources Field Laboratory. We will learn about how wildlife biologists use science to understand human impacts on ecological communities.   We will use the following techniques to sample the two communities:  electrofishing for fish; dipnets and kicknets for aquatic invertebrates; pitfall traps, funnel traps, coverboards, and PVC tubes for herpetofauna; Sherman live traps and snap traps for small mammals; cage traps and trail cameras with scent stations for meso- and large mammals; and mist nets for birds.  The Shannon-Weiner formula will be used as an index of biodiversity, which will be compared between the two areas to test the hypothesis that clearing streamside habitats lowers diversity in all animal taxa.