Arizona student chapters JAM out

Below is a summary of recent student chapter activities in Arizona, which was included in the Arizona Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s Spring 2019 newsletter.

Arizona State University Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society
By: Keaton Davis

Every Joint Annual Meeting (JAM), students from the Arizona State University (ASU) Student Chapter of TWS, also known as the Wildlife and Restoration Student Association (WRSA), represent ASU by attending technical sessions, participating in workshops, networking with professionals, fundraising, entering photo contests, and competing in Quiz Bowl.

This year, 18 ASU students attended the JAM and fielded two Quiz Bowl teams. Students also attended various workshops, with many participating in a venomous reptile handling workshop. Most of the ASU students also attended the student mentor luncheon to network with and obtain advice from professionals. The student chapter raised funds for future events and field trips at the JAM this year by selling calendars and hosting a silent auction. . Two members presented their research during the poster session, which allowed them to develop and refine their presentation and public speaking skills.

University of Arizona Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society 

The 2019 Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) of the Arizona and New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society in Albuquerque, NM, provided a unique and truly memorable experience for the University of Arizona student members who attended. Some of the events that students took advantage of were workshops, Quiz Bowl, technical sessions, business meetings, and banquet and awards ceremony.

The hands-on workshops were a fantastic opportunity to learn practical skills in the wildlife and fisheries fields and an excellent kickoff for the rest of the JAM. It also allowed students to have a more memorable experience, which was crucial for both engagement and learning. Also, Quiz Bowl was outstanding this year with many highly competitive and intelligent teams. Congrats to Eastern New Mexico University’s Student Chapter for winning first place! In addition, there was an excellent variety of high-quality technical sessions, which were real eye openers for many, especially those who are new to the field. The business meetings were also both very engaging and fun to participate in as they allowed students to become familiar with other members and better understand how the AZ and NM Chapters of TWS and AFS work internally. To conclude the meeting, the banquet and awards ceremony was perfect for everyone to relax after a jam-packed conference and enjoy a fine meal as awards were announced.

The JAM is truly great for allowing students to network with professionals, so that they can learn from them and potentially find a career. Overall, the University of Arizona Student Chapters of TWS thoroughly enjoyed this unique experience and are looking forward to the next JAM in 2020.