Dr. Robert Keller, Assistant Professor of Biology, has received $194,500 from the Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere (SAMAB) Foundation to continue and expand the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) pilot study of the Tennessee River Gorge.  This extension will allow the study to continue into August 2004.

This important program examines the biodiversity of the Tennessee River Gorge, and the biological data it produces is used to educate the public and to inform future planning and decision-making. Past activities will remain ongoing, including the educational outreach component of the study and the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) science curriculum.  

UTC will undertake a new project entitled “Coordination of Existing Natural History and Museum Collections of Public and Private Institutions in the Southeastern Region.” Another new project will enable the reintroduction of the endangered red wolf into The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The NBII pilot study is a critical component of long-term environmental planning and conservation in our community, and demonstrates the capacity of UTC’s gifted faculty to improve the lives of current and future generations. 

Congratulations to Dr. Keller!  Your investigation of the Tennessee River Gorge marks a strong partnership with the Chattanooga Creek Revitalization Project and the Volunteer Army Ammunition Dump Reclamation Project, and it will increase our understanding of our environment and improve conservation efforts.