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
Sarah Molinaro
Stream Ecologist
Sarah earned her M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois in 2019, where she examined the population dynamics of Shortnose Gar in the Illinois River and estimated bowfishing tournament participation and harvest in Illinois. At the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, she worked as an Assistant Fisheries Biologist in the Big Rivers Unit where she helped manage river catfish populations and administered the commercial fishing program. Sarah’s current research interests include how land use and conservation programs influence stream habitat and aquatic community composition. In her position as an assistant research scientist at INHS, Sarah leads the CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring Project. Her research is available on Google Scholar.
M.S. (2019) Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois
B.S. (2015) Integrative Biology, University of Illinois
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
Ellie Snyder, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Elise (Ellie) Snyder is a postdoctoral researcher at INHS, working with collaborators Mark Davis and Sarah Molinaro to explore the potential of environmental RNA (eRNA) for fish monitoring in streams. This postdoctoral work is funded by a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (Award ID 2410382). More broadly, Ellie is interested in the ecology of environmental DNA (eDNA) and eRNA, stream ecology, and the transport of organic materials in streams and rivers. She completed her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, where she specialized in stream ecology and studied the effects of environmental factors, including temperature, biofilms, and substrate, on the fate and transport of eDNA. Prior to graduate school, Ellie worked at the INHS as a technician and completed her B.S. in Integrative Biology at the University of Illinois. She grew up in the nearby town of Paxton, IL, after moving from Wisconsin at the age of seven. Ellie’s research is available on Google Scholar.
Ph.D. (2024) Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame
B.S. (2018) Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Carley Capon
Stream Ecology Lab Technician
Carley was raised in Wisconsin, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019. Carley then joined the Illinois Natural History Survey at the Illinois River Biological Station, where she served as an aquatic field technician and later as a lead technician for three years. Her master’s work at Eastern Illinois University focused on the impacts of dam removal on Catostomidae populations within the Vermilion River of the Wabash basin. In 2025, she joined the Stream Ecology Lab, where she leads the Sampling Small-Bodied Fishes in Greatest Conservation Need Project.
M.S. (Expected 2026) Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University
B.S. (2019) Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Erica Dolce
Stream Ecology Lab Technician
Erica, a proud Michigander, earned her B.S. from Michigan State University in December 2024. During her undergraduate years as a research assistant in MSU’s Forestry Department, she contributed to various projects across Michigan, including work in the Manistee National Forest. In 2024, her studies led her to the Southern African Wildlife College, where she conducted camera-trap surveys, aerial cluster sampling, and performed proactive horn trims on wild rhinos. In 2025, she joined the Stream Ecology Lab as a technician to support the CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring and SGCN Sampling Protocol projects, sustaining a research-driven throughline. Erica will return for the 2026 field season.
B.S. (2024) Fisheries and Wildlife, Conservation Biology, Michigan State University
Abbey Ward
Conservation Resource Specialist
Abbey currently lives in Peoria, IL, where she has spent most of her life. Before joining INHS, Abbey received her bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. During college, Abbey had multiple field-based internships, including working at Fermilab National Laboratory and Nahant Marsh. She conducted surveys of turtle and plant populations, controlled invasive species, and led volunteer workdays. These experiences helped her discover her love for protecting Midwestern ecosystems. After graduating, she moved to Indiana Dunes National Park, where she was a Crew Lead on a wetland restoration project. Abbey joined INHS in January 2021 and continues to work with the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
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
Isabel LaLonde
Conservation Resource Specialist
Isabel LaLonde started her position as a CREP Field Specialist with the Illinois Natural History Survey in January of 2026. She grew up in southeastern Minnesota and graduated in 2022 from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science degree in Conservation Biology. Isabel previously worked as a project manager with a private ecological restoration and consulting firm in Pennsylvania, where she was responsible for planning and implementing a variety of habitat restoration projects for private and government clients
B.S. (2022) Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota
Logan Grimm
Conservation Resource Specialist
Logan joined the Illinois Natural History Survey in 2022 as an Undergraduate Hourly, assisting the Sport Fish Ecology Laboratory with Walleye aging methods in Central Illinois Impoundments. After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he continued working with the Sport Fish Ecology lab as a lab technician. He joined the Stream Ecology Lab as a lab technician in June of 2025. Currently, Logan works as a Conservation Resources Specialist with the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and is based out of Havana, IL.
B.S. Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
View the Stream Ecology Lab’s Former Lab Members and Lab Affiliates.