Yong Cao, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Yong Cao, Ph.D., is a stream ecologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois. He obtained his Ph.D. in Aquatic Ecology from King’s College London in 1995and conducted research at the University of Toronto, the USEAP Research Lab in Corvallis, OR, and Utah State University before joining INHS in 2007. His research interests include 1) biological monitoring and assessment of freshwater ecosystems, 2) assemblage-focused sampling design, 3) aquatic species distribution modelling, 4) community multivariate analysis, and 5) species diversity concept and estimation. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have funded his current and previous projects. Yong’s research is available on Google Scholar.
Ph.D. (1995) Ecology, King’s College London
M.S. (1986) Limnology, Chinese Academy of Science
B.S. (1982) Biology, Shandong Normal University
Tyler Schartel, Ph.D.
Conservation Ecologist
Tyler is originally from Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, and earned his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Mississippi State University in 2016. His research interests involve using geospatial analyses and ecological niche/species distribution modeling to understand the factors that govern species niches and distributions. Tyler’s postdoctoral work in the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside involved characterizing insect invasion dynamics and developing early pest-management strategies. In his current position as an assistant scientist in conservation ecology at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), Tyler is working on two projects: modeling freshwater mussel distributions in the Midwest US and prioritizing Illinois protected lands based on species rarity and richness. Tyler’s future work with the INHS will involve serving as principal investigator on a project that will use historical and contemporary distributions of fish, mussels, and aquatic insects to recharacterize the biological significance of all Illinois streams and rivers. Tyler’s research is available on Google Scholar.
Ph.D. (2016) Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University
M.S. (2011) Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
B.S. (2007) Biology, Ursinus College
Billy Nixon
Stream Ecologist
Billy is a stream ecologist at INHS. He is originally from Monticello, Illinois, and is currently based in Champaign. He has a broad field research background at INHS, including conducting surveys for fish and freshwater mussels for the IDOT Biological Surveys and Assessment Program, long-term monitoring of translocated federally-endangered Northern Riffleshell mussels, conducting avian surveys in shrublands throughout Illinois, conducting telemetry for a post-breeding ecology study of wood ducks at Forbes Biological Station in Havana IL, and managing the Shorebird Conservation Acreage via drainage water Runoff Control project (SCARC), which works with landowners to create critical stopover habitat for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. He has also worked in the INHS Crustacean, Fish, Insect, Mammal, and Mollusk collections. Billy joined the lab in 2023 and is working on the CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring Project.
B.S. (2016) Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Kristen Ragusa
Conservation Resource Specialist Supervisor
Kristen grew up in rural Illinois in a typical farming community. Her childhood concluded with hunting, fishing, and critter-catching. Her passion for animals led her to a decade-long career as a certified animal nurse at the University of Illinois’ Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Champaign. She transitioned to the conservation field in 2017, earning her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and her master’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She joined INHS in January 2021 with the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program as a Field Scientist and recently transitioned into a supervisory role. Her office is based in the IDNR building in Springfield, IL.
B.S. (2019) Environmental Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
M.S. (2022) Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Abbey Ward
Conservation Resource Specialist
Abbey grew up and currently lives in the Peoria, IL area. She graduated from Augustana College in May of 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Studies and a minor in Geography. During the summer of 2020, she was a Crew Lead on a wetland restoration project at Indiana Dunes National Park, where she and her crew removed invasive species from wetland habitats and planted native flora. She joined INHS in January 2021 as a Visiting Scientific Specialist to work on the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and will be based out of Havana, IL.
B.S. (2020) Environmental Studies, Augustana College, Minor: Geography
Chris Miller
Conservation Resource Specialist
Chris grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and currently resides in Champaign, Illinois, where he joined INHS as a Stream Research Technician in the summer of 2020. Before joining INHS, he received his bachelor’s in Zoology from the University of St. Andrews, located on the East Coast of Scotland. During his undergraduate studies, his work focused primarily on ecological interactions and conservation, culminating in a thesis examining the skeletal morphometrics of an isolated population of Soay sheep living in the St. Kilda archipelago. Between graduation and joining INHS, he worked for the nonprofit Fossil Rim Wildlife Center as an animal care specialist, then moved to the education department as a conservation educator. He also spent a brief period as an axe-throwing instructor. In January of 2021, he started his new position at INHS as a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Field Specialist located in Champaign.
B.S. (2019) Zoology, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
Molly Koleczek
Conservation Resource Specialist
Molly grew up in the south Chicago suburbs and spent time outside in all seasons. She completed her BSc in Zoology at Olivet Nazarene University, with a capstone project examining patterns in melanistic versus gray squirrel populations across Indiana and Illinois. She then spent time in the marine mammal and sea turtle stranding response network for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. After this, she moved into a career in conservation education at several AZA-accredited zoos in Illinois and Arizona. To further her knowledge of conservation best practices, Molly completed an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation from Trinity College Dublin. She joined INHS in October 2023 as a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Field Specialist.
M.S. (2023) Biodiversity and Conservation, Trinity College Dublin
B.S. (2014) Zoology, Olivet Nazarene University
Trevor O’Brien
Conservation Resource Specialist
Trevor joined INHS as a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Field Specialist in October of 2023. While earning his bachelors in Animal Ecology at Iowa Sate University, Trevor worked as a lab assistant in the mammalogy collection and interned as a zookeeper. He was also vice president of the Fish and Wildlife Club and participated in field research on a variety of mammals in Montana and Glacier National Park. Before coming to INHS, Trevor spent time as a technician for Western Ecosystems, conducting mortality surveys of birds and bats at wind farms.
B.S. Animal Ecology, Iowa State University
View the Stream Ecology Lab’s Former Lab Members and Lab Affiliates.