People of PRI

Sarah Molinaro, stream ecologist

Jul 1, 2022 8:00 am

Sarah Molinaro is a stream ecologist at the Stream Ecology Lab with the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). She's a former graduate student researcher with the Sport Fish Ecology Lab (SFEL) in 2019, focusing on tournament bowfishing harvest and the population dynamics of Shortnose Gar.

Claire Johnson, INHS graduate student researcher

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Woman with a hat on holding a large black and yellow turtle.

Claire Dietrich, field ecologist

Feb 29, 2024 2:00 pm

Claire Dietrich recently joined the PACE Lab as a field ecologist.

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.

John Gatto, aquatic postdoctoral researcher

Feb 13, 2020 9:00 am

A man stands in front of a lake at sunset.

Rob Mooney, assistant research scientist

Jul 19, 2024 11:30 am

Rob Mooney recently joined INHS as an assistant research scientist. His research interests span a range of aquatic science topics, from invertebrate behavior to ecosystem-scale stressors to fisheries management.

Hannah Grushon, research assistant

Oct 31, 2024 8:00 am

Hannah Grushon is a first-year Master's student at the University of Illinois in the Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences program and a graduate research assistant with the Illinois Natural History Survey. Her passion for conservation drives her research, which aims to identify effective management strategies to support these critical ecosystems.

Josh Osborn, waterbird ecologist

Nov 20, 2019 10:45 am

Robbie Emmet, postdoctoral research associate

Sep 13, 2021 8:00 am

Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) postdoctoral research associate Robbie Emmet is looking forward to working with INHS researchers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) staff to answer management-relevant research questions and combine the multiple amazing data sets that IDNR has collected for decades.

Anna Frailey, field scientist/forest ecologist

Mar 1, 2023 9:00 am

We're pleased to welcome Anna Frailey to the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) as a field scientist/forest ecologist! Anna brings her passion for land management to this role, and we look forward to having her on our team!

Shaley Valentine, assistant research scientist

Feb 22, 2024 9:00 am

Shaley Valentine recently joined Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) as an Assistant Research Scientist at the Illinois River Biological Station! Prior to joining INHS, Shaley completed a PhD at Southern Illinois University. We sat down with Shaley to learn more about them, what they’re passionate about, and hear any advice they have for future scientists.

Stephanie Schmidt, INHS graduate student

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Emily Struckhoff, INHS graduate student researcher

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Megan Cowan-Cranmer, field biologist

Sep 15, 2021 8:00 am

Megan Cowan-Cranmer has been a field biologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey's Great Rivers Field Station for over 14 years, and is also this year's 2021 Confluence Conservation Leader awardee. Confluence Conservation Leader recipients work tirelessly to advocate, educate and inspire action in areas of environmental education, sustainability, and land conservation.

Chris Miller, Conservation Resource Specialist

Apr 8, 2021 8:00 am

Susan McIntyre: Wetland Plant Ecologist

Mar 21, 2018 12:00 pm

A woman wearing an orange shirt and with glasses giving the "peace" sign with her fingers.

Hannah Anderson, environmental data specialist

Dec 19, 2024 7:00 am

Hannah Anderson joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), a division of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) as an environmental data specialist. In this role, she’s embedded in the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Central Office in Springfield, Illinois.

Nicholas Iacaruso, graduate researcher

Jan 26, 2022 8:00 am

Nicholas Iacaruso is a graduate student at the Illinois Natural History Survey in the Collaborative Ecological Genetics Laboratory (CEGL) working under Mark Davis, focusing on monitoring freshwater fish populations using environmental DNA (eDNA). Iacaruso grew up near Chesapeake Bay, which inspired his interests in aquatic ecosystems before he learned about ecological genetics, and later, about environmental DNA, or eDNA.

Alison Stodola: Aquatic Biologist

Mar 15, 2017 12:00 pm

Toby Holda, large river fisheries ecologist

May 2, 2022 8:00 am

Toby Holda joined INHS on April 25th as a large river fisheries ecologist. Holda worked at INHS during his undergraduate career and looks forward to sampling fish in the field, especially the long toothy fishes (gars, bowfin, etc.). He's also looking forward to continuing working with the folks at the Illinois River Biological Station and to the opportunity to continue developing his research skills.

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.

Sara Sawicki, water quality specialist

Aug 25, 2022 8:00 am

Sara Sawicki joined INHS on August 16th as a water quality specialist with the Illinois River Biological Station (IRBS) long-term resource monitoring program. She earned her bachelor's degree in environmental science from Dominican University and her Master’s degree in environmental science from Alaska Pacific University, where she performed water sampling and analysis work for a USGS project involving a glacier and its watershed.

Sarah Gaulke standing in front of water holding a bird.

Sarah Gaulke, INHS graduate student

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Tara Beveroth holding eastern screech owl

Tara Beveroth: Ornithologist

Jun 14, 2017 4:00 pm

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.

Kylee Noel, INHS graduate student

Oct 24, 2019 9:00 am

Sam Schaick, large river fisheries ecologist

May 31, 2019 9:15 am

David Zaya, plant ecologist

Jun 11, 2020 4:30 pm

Emmarie Alexander, undergraduate researcher

Apr 19, 2021 8:00 am

Sara Wilson, INHS graduate student

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Abby Pagels, acoustic coordinator for the Illinois Bat Conservation Program

Mar 14, 2023 2:00 pm

Jim Lamer: large river ecologist

Mar 25, 2019 2:30 pm

Natalia Maass, endangered species specialist

Sep 1, 2021 8:00 am

Meet Natalia Maass, an endangered species specialist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. While Maass continues to tackle challenging programming languages, she stresses that having an advanced degree isn't a qualifier for being a “real” scientist. People can do meaningful work in science as citizen scientists, too.

scientist smiling and holding up a freshwater mussel

Hugo Ruellan, aquatic ecologist

Mar 14, 2023 2:00 pm

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Apr 22, 2022 11:15 am

Congratulations to all of the undergraduate students presenting at the Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 28 and the PRI scientists who mentored them!

Anne Krippenstapel, field scientist

Aug 8, 2022 8:00 am

Anne Krippenstapel recently joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) as a field scientist. She earned her bachelor's degree in forestry from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and worked as a forestry tech, running a chainsaw, treating invasive plants, and doing timber stand improvement.

Sarah Douglass: Mussel Field Biologist

May 2, 2017 4:15 pm

Susan Post: Entomologist

Mar 17, 2017 12:45 pm

Dana Brown, vector biologist

Jul 21, 2022 3:30 pm

Dana Brown recently joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) as a vector biologist. Prior to joining INHS, Dana spent four years assisting with microbiological research in laboratories focused on virology, immunology, and cancer biology.

Manisha Pant, macroinvertebrates coordinator

Feb 3, 2023 9:15 am

Manisha Pant recently joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) as a macroinvertebrates coordinator with the Illinois River Biological Station (IRBS)’s long-term resource monitoring (LTRM) program. Manisha is looking forward to once again sampling and studying freshwater macroinvertebrates, and has always been interested in STEM fields since she was a kid. If you wonder if she's grossed out by looking at bugs all the time – her answer, emphatically, “No! Bugs are cool!”

Brenda Molano-Flores: Plant Ecologist

Mar 24, 2017 12:45 pm

A woman standing on a boat facing the camera. She is proudly holding a large gar fish using both of her hands.

Rachel Prostko, water quality technician

Dec 3, 2024 7:00 am

Meet Rachel Prostko, a water quality technician at the Illinois Natural History Survey. Rachel brings her passion for lab and fieldwork to PRI, where she monitors water quality and studies zooplankton communities in the Mississippi watershed.

Eric Schauber: Illinois Natural History Survey director

May 30, 2018 11:15 am

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.

Kelsey Low, disease ecology research assistant

Oct 22, 2019 12:45 pm

Alexa Ashbrook, INHS graduate student

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Christine Parker: PhD student

Mar 8, 2017 1:15 pm

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.

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.

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