Faculty in the College of Natural Resources are advancing innovation through cutting-edge research that addresses critical environmental and natural resources challenges.

Each month, faculty secure funding from federal and state agencies as well as nongovernmental organizations, supporting initiatives in ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation and more.

This report highlights the grants awarded in January 2026, showcasing projects that advance scientific understanding and deliver real-world solutions.

Click on the projects listed below to learn more:

• Perceptions of Gambling and Betting Addictions Among ACC Student-Athletes and Administrators
• Integrating Geospatial Capacity with Management and Operations in NPS Interior Region 1 (Mod1)
• Continued Monitoring and Building Capacity for Conservation of State-Threatened Rio Grande (Western) Cooter in New Mexico
• Collaborative Research: Eastern Fire-Net – Frontiers in Understanding Novel Fire Systems in the Eastern U.S.

Perceptions of Gambling and Betting Addictions Among ACC Student-Athletes and Administrators

PI: Bryan Clift
Direct Sponsor Name: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Awarded Amount: $1,725

Summary: Since the legalization of online sports betting in 2024, gambling and sports betting have seen increasing online wagering. Some estimates have placed the percentage of college students engaging in sports betting as high as 75%. Prior research on gambling highlights that gambling issues among students can lead to feelings of guilt and depression, exacerbate other risky behaviors, lower social support, cause debt and even lead to suicidal ideation.

Among college athletes and within college athletics, there is a limited understanding of how both students and administrators perceive it compared with other common addictive behaviors college students face. The psychological, academic and financial harm of sports gambling on college students is well-documented. However, because it is a newer phenomenon, administrators may not view it as a significant problem.

Existing research, including studies from the NCAA, has primarily focused on the quantitative aspects of student behavior. A new qualitative study could explore the perceptions of both student-athletes and administrators on sports gambling and other addictions. By gathering their subjective opinions, this research can provide the ACC with valuable insights to inform future programming, prevention, and educational efforts to address this growing issue.

Integrating Geospatial Capacity with Management and Operations in NPS Interior Region 1 (Mod1)

PI: Ross Meentemeyer
Direct Sponsor Name: U.S. National Park Service
Amount Awarded: $50,000

Summary: Not available

Continued Monitoring and Building Capacity for Conservation of State-Threatened Rio Grande (Western) Cooter in New Mexico

PI: Ivana Mali
Direct Sponsor Name: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Awarded Amount: $45,000

Summary: This project will survey populations of the Western River Cooter to update their status in the Black River in Eddy County and the Pecos River in Chaves and Eddy counties in New Mexico. Researchers will capture turtles to collect basic biological information, with a focus on the Western River Cooter, to better understand the health of turtle populations in these river systems.

The team will also study the turtles’ habitat and, when needed, evaluate possible threats to their populations. Researchers will obtain all required permits for work in parks, wildlife refuges and on private land. They will also get written permission from landowners before sharing location information about any state or federally protected species found on private property.

Population data from trapping surveys will be analyzed using established statistical methods that account for the fact that not every turtle in an area can be captured. This will allow researchers to estimate how many turtles live in each surveyed stretch of the Black and Pecos rivers.

Finally, researchers will measure the body condition of individual turtles to assess their overall health and examine how different habitat conditions may affect it.

Collaborative Research: Eastern Fire-Net – Frontiers in Understanding Novel Fire Systems in the Eastern U.S.

PI: Robert Scheller
Direct Sponsor Name: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Amount Awarded: $195,959

Summary: The Eastern Fire Network, or EFNet, will bring together researchers, educators and partners to improve understanding of wildland fire in the eastern United States. Through ongoing collaboration, including annual workshops with stakeholder participation, EFNet will identify and organize the data needed to better understand what drives wildfires in the eastern U.S. The network will begin analyzing these data to help improve emergency preparedness at the local, regional and national levels.