People of PRI

Aaron Yetter, waterfowl ecologist

Apr 16, 2020 10:00 am

Abby Pagels, acoustic coordinator for the Illinois Bat Conservation Program

Mar 14, 2023 2:00 pm

Rachel Lupas processes a tissue sample for analysis

Adjusting to these 'ever-changing times'

Nov 24, 2020 11:15 am

Alexa Ashbrook, INHS graduate student

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Alison Stodola: Aquatic Biologist

Mar 15, 2017 12:00 pm

Allison Bryant, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) specialist

Apr 30, 2021 8:00 am

Amber Schmidt: Grad Student and Illinois Indiana Sea Grant Scholar

Dec 6, 2023 9:45 am

Andrya Whitten: Aquatic Ecologist

Mar 8, 2017 1:00 pm

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!

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.

Anthony Porreca, assistant director of Kaskaskia Biological Station

Nov 15, 2019 11:15 am

Auriel Fournier standing in front of wetlands

Auriel Fournier, director of Forbes Biological Station

Apr 11, 2022 8:00 am

Auriel Fournier, a waterfowl ecologist and director of the Forbes Biological Station, has been awarded a 2022 PRI Early Career Researcher Award. Fournier also leads the major National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-funded Firebird project focused on waterbirds in the Gulf of Mexico, which involves collaborators from multiple agencies and organizations.

Auriel Fournier, director of Forbes Biological Station

Jun 13, 2019 8:00 am

Brenda Molano-Flores: Plant Ecologist

Mar 24, 2017 12:45 pm

Brian Charles, botanist

Feb 21, 2022 8:00 am

Meet Brian Charles, a botanist originally from the West Coast, but now rooted in the Midwest. Brian joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) this year and primarily works to update the Endangered and Threatened plant species records and rankings for Illinois.

Brittany Rogness, mammalogist

Jun 29, 2020 8:00 am

Caitlin Bloomer, INHS graduate student

Oct 23, 2019 9:00 am

Cariad Williams, paleontology PhD student

Oct 25, 2019 8:00 am

Carly Fenstermacher, INHS graduate student researcher

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Chelsea Kross, quantitative ecologist

Jun 2, 2020 9:00 am

Chris Miller, Conservation Resource Specialist

Apr 8, 2021 8:00 am

Christine Parker outdoors holding a turkey.

Christine Parker, INHS graduate student

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Christine Parker: PhD student

Mar 8, 2017 1:15 pm

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.

Claire Johnson, avian ecologist

Jun 3, 2021 8:00 am

Claire Johnson, INHS graduate student researcher

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Claire Snyder, assistant scientist, large river fisheries ecology

Jun 12, 2019 12:45 pm

Connie Carroll-Cunningham: Botanist

May 24, 2017 4:15 pm

Corrado Cara, vector biologist

Mar 16, 2022 8:00 am

Meet Corrado Cara, a vector biologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey's (INHS) medical entomology lab focusing mainly on the surveillance of vectors and vector-borne diseases and related research projects. Corrado has been interested in learning everything about insects since he was about 10 years old.

Courtney Weldon, INHS graduate student

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Curtis Twellmann, Illinois Learn to Hunt regional R3 planner

Mar 4, 2021 8:00 am

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.

Daniel Raudabaugh, postdoctoral researcher

Oct 12, 2020 9:00 am

David Weyers, large river ecologist

Jul 11, 2022 8:00 am

David Weyers joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) as a large river ecologist on June 1st. Prior to joining INHS, He earned his B.S. environmental biology from Greenville College and his Master's degree in biology from Saint Louis University where he focused on invasion and community ecology, studying the effects of the invasive plant, Erodium cicutarium on a native plant community near Portal, AZ.

David Zaya, plant ecologist

Jun 11, 2020 4:30 pm

Diane and Ed Wilhite, insect collection volunteers

Apr 28, 2021 8:00 am

Distinguished Research Scientist: Andrew N. Miller

Apr 11, 2019 4:45 pm

April Burgett and Mark Ryan with her award

Distinguished Support Staff: April Burgett, Illinois Natural History Survey

Apr 12, 2018 12:30 pm

Dominique Turney, aquatic nuisance species specialist

Dec 13, 2019 11:15 am

Dr. Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, 2024 Distinguished Research Scientist Award recipient

Jun 5, 2024 1:15 pm

Dr. Nohra Mateus-Pinilla has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Research Scientist Award by the Prairie Research Institute. This prestigious recognition is bestowed upon individuals whose exceptional contributions to their field of research, environment, and society stand out as exemplary. Dr. Mateus-Pinilla, the director of the Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Laboratory at the Illinois Natural History Survey.

Ed DeWalt, aquatic entomologist

Jul 29, 2020 8:00 am

A woman standing near a river holding a crayfish.

Ellen Schonken, lab technician

Sep 24, 2024 8:00 am

Ellen Schonken is a lab technician with the Population and Community Ecology Lab at the Illinois Natural History Survey and a junior majoring in Natural Resources & Environmental Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A woman in a coat enthusiastically holding a bag of water.

Ellie Snyder, postdoctoral researcher

Oct 10, 2024 7:00 am

Ellie Snyder recently joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) as a postdoctoral researcher. At INHS, Ellie is exploring the potential of eRNA in fish monitoring, collaborating with Mark Davis and Sarah Molinaro.

Emily Struckhoff, INHS graduate student researcher

Oct 26, 2020 8:00 am

Emily Szott, large river fisheries ecologist

Jul 9, 2020 9:00 am

Emmarie Alexander, undergraduate researcher

Apr 19, 2021 8:00 am

Erica Hernandez, INHS graduate student

Oct 25, 2019 9:00 am

Eric Schauber: Illinois Natural History Survey director

May 30, 2018 11:15 am

Gail Kampmeier speaking at a lectern in 2016

Gail Kampmeier: Entomologist

Mar 28, 2017 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.

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