Anne Hughes
Anne was a Conservation Resource Specialist for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) until 2023.
Allison Bryant
Allison was a Conservation Resource Specialist for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) until 2023.
Jake Lux
Jake was a Conservation Resource Specialist for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
Lisa Demeule (Beja)
Since 2005, Lisa has served as a GIS specialist for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) at a variety of agencies including UIUC College of ACES, Lewis and Clark Community College NGRREC, and INHS. At INHS, Lisa led a team of six field scientists who assist IDNR with CREP Easement Monitoring. Lisa is now a GIS Mapping Specialist II with the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Lauren Hostert
Lauren was the project manager for the CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring project from 2018-2022. Lauren’s research is available on Google Scholar or via email request. Lauren is now the Field Operations Manager for Domain 11 at the National Ecological Observatory Network. Email her at lhostert@battelleecology.org.
Sara Ashcraft
Sara’s research focus at INHS was modeling habitat suitability for Illinois’ Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Her projects included modeling Eastern Sand Darter habitat and River Redhorse in Illinois. She also assisted with the CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring project. Sara is now working as a Freshwater Research Initiative Ecologist at Susquehanna University. Email her at ashcraft@susqu.edu
Ashton Lyon
Ashton started at the Illinois Natural History Survey in summer 2018 as a field technician, and was hired in December 2019 as a Visiting Scientific Specialist. He primarily worked on the CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring and Assessing Population Viability projects. He also helped develop a field experiment testing the burial preferences of the Eastern Sand Darter in Illinois running waters.
Emily Feng
Emily is currently a Research Assistant with the Lincoln Park Zoo Alexander Center for Population Biology. She will be transitioning to a Graduate Teaching Assistant position at SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry in the fall of 2021.
Dr. Bridget Henning-Randa
Dr. Bridget Henning-Randa is now an Endangered Species Consultant with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Patrick Wilken
Patrick Wilken was a graduate student in the stream ecology lab from 2010 – 2012 during which they conducted statistical analyses, including multidimensional scaling and generalized linear regression models to help evaluate trends among water quality, aquatic organisms, and transportation infrastructure. Since their time in the stream ecology lab they have worked in data and analytics and now works as a data scientist manager for McDonald’s.
Levi Drake
Since leaving the stream ecology lab Levi has centered his career around applied fermentation sciences and science communication, utilizing a systems-thinking design approach. He is now Executive Vice President at Glacier Tanks, a company that builds large vessels and piping systems for sanitary food and beverage applications. Levi leads the research and development efforts to improve energy use, environmental impacts, and system efficiencies in food and beverage production facilities in North America.
Jian Huang
Jian Huang was a graduate student studying environmental sciences with the stream ecology lab from 2009 – 2011. Since then they went on to get their masters and Ph.D. in statistics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. They are now a full time analytics manager at IQVIA.
Tim Edison
Tim Edison was part of the stream ecology lab as the Large River Ecologist from 2010 – 2014 with a primary focus on the Wabash, Ohio, Kankakee, and Iroquois rivers. Since their time at the lab they were a Land Reclamation Specialist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources before moving on to become the site superintendent at the Kickapoo State Recreation area in 2017.
Field Crews
2023: Noah Finney, Katarina Glueck, Mary Rimm, Brendan VanAntwerp
2022: Rylee Cook, Elliot Hoogerland, Tim Legare, Renee Leon, Moshe Piltz, Randi Valtman
2021 : Zoe Brandt, Emma Hakanson, Hannah Palacios, Briana Sebastion
2020: Rafal Banas, Andrew Crozier, Katie Lauder, Chris Miller, Bradlee Sheredy
2019: Kaitlyn Busch, Hannah Holmquist, Brian Lukaszczyk, Clayton Moubry, Aaron Muehler, Monica Proulx, Isabella Sadler
2018: Paul DeRolf, Ashton Lyon, Elise Snyder, Matt VanBemel, Julia Vigil
