Through a $300,000 grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife, a group of Ball State students spent much of the summer on Lake Michigan monitoring the perch population. Tom Lauer, director of Ball State's Aquatic Biology and Fisheries Center, has coordinated the project with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) for nearly 30 years. The partnership has allowed IDNR to save money yet reap the benefits of one of the largest data sets ever provided on the lake’s perch population. For Ball State students, the project helps jump-start their careers by giving them coveted, hands-on fieldwork while deepening their ties to the state.

Ball State students are on the water throughout the summer monitoring the perch population. Their efforts provide the Indiana Department of Natural Resources with critical information regarding the numbers of the popular game fish, offer insight into the lake's overall health, and provide data on the impact of invasive species.

Through Ball State's Building Better Communities initiative, the university has made a bold commitment to extend its students' reach beyond traditional classrooms and into Indiana companies and communities. Their efforts help the state's economy move forward one community at a time. And in the case of Lake Michigan, their efforts help a community of yellow perch.