Committee Chair

Gaudin, Timothy J.

Committee Member

Aborn, David; Shaw, Joey

Department

Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Natural history collections (NHCs) are widely considered to be an exceptionally valuable resource and a critical foundation for research. Of the thousands of collections maintained today, the majority are considered small with a local or taxonomic focus. Collaboration among smaller NHCs through online publication contributes a largely underutilized resource for collections-based research. Past digitization efforts have resulted in the mobilization of collections data that enhance their preexisting value without significant additional costs. With this project I digitized and published the mammal collection (2,525 records) and, separately, the ornithology collection (403 records). Upon publication these records are the only mammal and bird datasets from the state of Tennessee uploaded to the Consortium of Vertebrate Collections on Symbiota. Online accessibility of these collections increase their utility and provides feedback regarding the quality, usage, and distribution of our datasets to inform future management decisions and collection goals.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express sincere gratitude to my advisor, mentor, and friend, Dr. Tim Gaudin for his tremendous support and guidance throughout this project. I am also incredibly grateful for my committee members, Dr. David Aborn for his insightful encouragement and instruction, and Dr. Joey Shaw for his professional perspective and providing additional opportunities to engage with collections work. I would also like to thank Dr. Hill Craddock, Dr. Rich Walker, and Dr. Stylianos Chatzimanolis for continuously welcoming and validating my curiosities throughout this journey. I would like to thank Dr. Gretchen Potts for her efforts to provide additional support and learning opportunities within the department for BGE students such as myself. Finally, I am incredibly grateful for the friendships formed with my graduate comrades who continue to inspire me.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2025

Subject

Natural history--Catalogs and collections--Tennessee; Vertebrates--Type specimens--Digitization

Keyword

Collections; digitization; accessibility; database; museum; vertebrate

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

vii, 48 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/

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