There are numerous opportunities for UTM students to participate in research in the Reelfoot Lake area. Several faculty members at UTM are, or recently have been conducting research on a variety of topics related to the Reelfoot Lake system. Some of these studies include investigations on aquatic algae, biodiversity and habitat use of amphibians and reptiles, the ecology of heron rookeries, metal contamination of lake sediment, calling behavior of barred owls, seasonal variation in fish community structure, and several others. If you are interested in participating in research in the Reelfoot Lake area, talk to your academic advisor about potential opportunities or contact the director of RLEFS (Dr. Tom Blanchard) at tblanch@utm.edu.

Additional support for undergraduate research can be obtained through the two scholarships described below.

The Smith, Henson, Sliger, Undergraduate Research on Reelfoot Lake Fund

This is a competitive grant that is awarded in the spring semester. The award is usually approximately $ 4,000 and is intended to provide funds for living expenses during the summer of research activity. The grant is available to students in any discipline. Funded projects must focus on topics related to the Reelfoot Lake system. Students interested in applying for this fund, should contact their academic advisor for more details about the application process.

Below are the titles, student authors (awarded recipient), and faculty mentors of projects that were supported by the Reelfoot Lake Undergraduate Research Scholarship.

Past Scholarship Winners

The Reelfoot Lake Undergraduate Research Scholarship

This is a competitive scholarship that was established in 2016 by the Campbell family and is awarded to a biology (or related field) student in the spring semester. The award to the student is approximately $4,000 and funds are intended to provide living expenses during the summer of research activity. To be eligible for this scholarship, projects must be related to biological, ecological, or environmental phenomena related to the Reelfoot Lake system. Students interested in applying for this fund, should contact their academic advisor for more details about the application process.

Below are the titles, student authors (awarded recipient), and faculty mentors of projects that were supported by the Reelfoot Lake Undergraduate Research Scholarship.