People of PRI

Hongxu Zhou, postdoctoral researcher

Oct 23, 2024 8:00 am

Hongxu Zhou is a postdoctoral researcher at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. Hongxu's current research targets biochar systems for the destruction of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS.

A woman wearing a hat and holding a toad.

Hope Dermott, visiting scientific specialist

Jun 27, 2024 8:00 am

Hope Dermott joined INHS in the Wetland Science Program on May 20th as a Visiting Scientific Specialist in Wetland Science. She is currently working on her Master's degree in soil science at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

scientist smiling and holding up a freshwater mussel

Hugo Ruellan, aquatic ecologist

Mar 14, 2023 2:00 pm

Hugo Ruellan, INHS graduate student

Oct 22, 2019 9:00 am

IRBS staff, alumni, and family members gathered at Riverfront Park to mark the field station's 50th year

Illinois River Biological Station marks 50th anniversary

Aug 12, 2022 8:30 am

On July 23, the Illinois Natural History Survey's Illinois River Biological Station (IRBS) celebrated its 50th anniversary with a reunion at Riverfront Park in Havana, Illinois. IRBS has grown to a staff of more than 50 people, including PhD. scientists, post-doctoral research associates, large river ecologists, aquatic field technicians, and many graduate students. More than 300 scientists have been part of IRBS since its founding in 1972.

Isabelle Lulewicz, zooarchaeologist

Mar 29, 2021 11:00 am

Jake Lux, conservation resource specialist

Apr 20, 2021 8:00 am

A male in a blue jacket stands in front of the Sydney Opera House.

Jake Vile, undergraduate researcher

Jul 26, 2024 2:00 pm

Jake Vile, a recent graduate from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences recently joined the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Prairie Research Institute. Jake's passion for weather began at a young age, and he plans to further his studies with a M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences at the University at Albany this fall. At PRI, he contributes to the MITTEN-CI project, focusing on collecting and analyzing meteorological data. Jake's dedication and enthusiasm, combined with his extensive global experience, make him a valuable asset to our team. We sat down with Jake to learn more about his experience and plans for the future.

Jameson Mori, 2024 PRI Early Career Investigator Award recipient

Jun 5, 2024 7:45 am

Jameson Mori, assistant research scientist at the Illinois Natural History Survey’s Wildlife Epidemiological Lab, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Early Career Investigator Award by the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) for their outstanding contributions to environmental science and interdisciplinary research.

Janice Enos, avian biologist

Feb 7, 2023 9:30 am

Janice Enos, an avian biologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). Her research broadly focuses on how social interactions influence nesting ecology and habitat selection in songbirds. Janice has been an animal lover and interested in science for as long as she can remember, crediting David Attenborough and PBS documentaries like “NOVA” and “Nature” for sparking her interest in science, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society for convincing her to become an ornithologist!

Jason Buckley, Learn to Hunt workshop coordinator

Sep 26, 2020 8:00 am

Jason Karakehian, PhD student

May 18, 2021 9:00 am

Jeff Stein, fisheries ecologist

Aug 13, 2019 12:00 pm

Jehnsen Lebsock, large river fisheries ecologist

Aug 28, 2020 8:00 am

Jennie Atkins: Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program

Mar 20, 2017 1:15 pm

Jeremy Facer, research assistant

Sep 26, 2024 8:00 am

Jeremy Facer’s journey into the world of fisheries and environmental research began in the wilderness of Idaho, where he developed a deep appreciation for nature. Now a graduate student in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences and research assistant with the Illinois Natural History Survey under Joseph Parkos, Jeremy focuses on studying fish and their prey’s response to supplemental habitats in aging reservoirs.

Jesse Williams: large river fisheries ecologist

Aug 8, 2019 12:00 pm

Jessica Ackerman: Wetland Geologist

Apr 5, 2017 12:15 pm

Jessica Homan, social media intern

Sep 8, 2021 8:00 am

Social media intern Jessica Homan’s passion for her work revolves around communications. She was drawn to intern at the Prairie Research Institute after learning about the impact its services and research has on citizens and scientists in Illinois and beyond—plenty of good stories to tell!

Jim Lamer: large river ecologist

Mar 25, 2019 2:30 pm

Jim Pisell, staff archaeologist

Oct 4, 2021 12:15 pm

Jim Pisell has been with the Illinois State Archaeological Survey for nearly 20 years, and while technology has changed the face and pace of what archaeology looks like today, at its core Jim believes it's deeper than artifacts—it is a type of informed storytelling.

Joe Parkos, director of the Kaskaskia, Sam Parr, and Ridge Lake Biological Stations

Jun 17, 2019 11:30 am

John Beardsley prepares to sample the Pecatonica River, Stephenson County, Illinois for the Benchmark Sediment Monitoring network.

John Beardsley, research field specialist

May 27, 2021 8:15 am

John Gatto, aquatic postdoctoral researcher

Feb 13, 2020 9:00 am

Jonathan Freiman: HR business partner

Mar 15, 2019 11:00 am

Jordan Hartman, postdoctoral researcher

Jan 29, 2024 10:45 am

Jordan Hartman joined INHS and the Collaborative Conservation Genomics Laboratory on January 1, 2024, as a Postdoctoral Researcher with Dr. Mark Davis. She recently completed her Ph. D. at the University of Illinois under Dr. Eric Larson where she studied the process of the invasion of Eastern Banded Killifish in Illinois using different and genomic techniques. Today, she can found in the genomics laboratory where she will be researching little brown bats across the United States.

Jordyn Chace in the Mark Davis Lab in NRES and the Illinois Bat Conservation Program

Jordyn Chace, graduate student

Oct 27, 2021 8:00 am

Jordyn Chace says she has always wanted to be a conservation biologist, even before she knew that it was a real career. Now she's a bat genomicist with the Illinois Natural History Survey.

Josh Nickelson, field scientist

Jul 12, 2022 8:00 am

Since second grade Josh Nickelson knew he wanted to work in a park or a forest setting when he grew up. Last month, he joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) as a field scientist and is looking forward to assisting land owners and organizations with various forest management projects.

Josh Osborn, waterbird ecologist

Nov 20, 2019 10:45 am

Josh Smith, smiling in front of yellow autumn leaves.

Josh Smith, economic geologist and affiliate researcher

Dec 17, 2024 7:00 am

Josh Smith is a research specialist with the University of Illinois' Department of Earth Science & Environmental Change and a research affiliate with the Critical Minerals group at the Illinois State Geological Survey.

Joshua Arneson, undergraduate intern

Jul 19, 2017 2:30 pm

Joshua Cheng, sustainability technician

May 22, 2019 12:30 pm

Julie Claussen: Fisheries Biologist

Feb 5, 2018 3:45 pm

A man riding a horse with one hand over his head holding a cowboy hat.

Justin Remmers, postdoctoral researcher

Mar 7, 2024 2:15 pm

Justin Remmers recently joined INHS as a Postdoctoral Researcher.

Kaitlin Karl, PhD student

Sep 24, 2024 3:00 pm

Kaitlin Karl, a new PhD student at the Cooperative Conservation Genetics Lab at the Illinois Natural History Survey, brings a deep-rooted passion for preserving biodiversity. We sat down with Kaitlin for this edition of “People of PRI” to learn more about her journey, her favorite tools, and advice for aspiring conservationists.

Katelyn McLaughlin, environmental science writer

Jan 20, 2023 12:30 pm

I grew up in the Northwest Chicago Suburbs and moved to Champaign in June of 2021 for work. I graduated from Illinois State University in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in English and a focus on publishing and I’ve worked a few jobs unrelated to my major since then. My role at PRI is as an environmental science writer for WaterOperator.org through the Water Survey and this is the first writing-based job I have had since graduating college so I am very excited about that!

Katey Strailey, postdoctoral researcher

Oct 10, 2022 11:00 am

I’m really excited to get to do applied research. For me, it’s the best of both worlds–I get to do work that is both scientifically engaging and valuable for conservation. Conservation and management of our aquatic resources are really important to me, and I want to make sure that whatever I do for work is supporting those resources.

Katie O'Reilly, aquatic invasive species specialist

Aug 4, 2022 8:00 am

Katie's doctoral research focused on understanding changes to Lake Michigan coastal wetland food webs using stable isotope analysis and otolith microchemistry. Her post-doc research expanded into the ecological impacts of an invasive aquatic plant (Elodea canadensis) in Alaskan freshwater ponds. Beyond her formal training as an aquatic ecologist, Katie is also passionate about understanding how scientists can more effectively communicate with different audiences.

A woman in cold-weather attire stands in front of a snow-covered mountain.

Katie Spaulding, GIS Specialist

Aug 9, 2024 10:45 am

We spoke with Katie Spaulding, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the newest visiting scientific specialist of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the Illinois State Geological Survey. Katie shared her journey from her undergraduate career to her current role at ISGS, where she combines her passion for the environment with advanced mapping technologies.

Katrina Cotten, terrestrial ecologist

May 15, 2023 10:30 am

Katrina Cotten recently joined INHS as a terrestrial ecologist. She received her B.Sc. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During her undergrad and after graduation, she worked in the Human-Wildlife Interactions Lab, where she was first introduced to working with bats. She completed a summer research project examining predation risks at natural versus artificial roosts in southern Indiana. She also contributed to a literature review examining the temperature buffering capacity of tree microhabitats at a global scale.

Kelly Estes: Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator

Mar 15, 2018 9:00 am

Kelsey Low, disease ecology research assistant

Oct 22, 2019 12:45 pm

Kendall Taft, reservoir geologist

Mar 22, 2022 8:00 am

Geology was always a natural fit for Kendall Taft, a reservoir geologist at the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS). Born and raised in Jacksonville, Illinois, Kendall grew up fascinated by fossils and never grew tired of looking for them in limestone driveways. Working at ISGS, he now sets sights on interpreting 2D seismic data about reservoirs for potential carbon dioxide (CO2) storage.

Kenton Geier holding a clipboard working in the field

Kenton Geier, research archaeologist

Jul 13, 2022 8:00 am

Kenton Geier, a research archaeologist, is a familiar face with the ISAS crew. He's worked at the survey for nearly a decade and is heavily involved in outreach and educational opportunities raising public awareness of past and current destruction of archaeological sites. Geier's work centers around time – finding opportunities every day to preserve items from the past for future generations!

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