The Dr. R.W. Larimore Stream Ecology Internship supports undergraduate research in stream ecology through hands-on field and research activities focused on Jordan Creek in Vermilion County, Illinois. The internship is supported by an endowment established by the family and friends of Dr. R. Weldon Larimore (1923–2015) in recognition of his long career with the Illinois Natural History Survey (1946–2002) and the University of Illinois (1969–1988).
Application Information
Applications for the 2026 Dr. R.W. Larimore Stream Ecology Internship are being accepted until March 15, 2026. Read the complete description and application details.
Dr. Larimore’s work helped shape modern approaches to aquatic research. Although his research extended well beyond Illinois, Jordan Creek is a critical part of his scientific legacy. This internship supports ongoing research on stream ecosystems and provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to contribute to long-term ecological research.
Award Details
The Dr. R.W. Larimore Stream Ecology Internship provides up to $4,000 in funding to support an undergraduate researcher. The internship is offered every other year. If no suitable applications are received, the review committee may choose not to make an award in that cycle. All applications are reviewed in confidence.
Research Setting
Jordan Creek is located in east-central Illinois within the Wabash River watershed. It drains into the Salt Fork, a tributary of the Vermilion River, and flows through an agriculturally dominated landscape with smaller forested areas concentrated in portions of the watershed. Few stream systems have been studied as intensively as Jordan Creek, making it a valuable site for long-term ecological research.
Program History
In July 1950, R. Weldon “Larry” Larimore and Leonard Durham of INHS began systematic aquatic research on Jordan Creek using a newly developed electric seine. They documented pools and riffles and collected, marked, and released fish over a four-mile reach of the stream. Their early work helped establish more than seven decades of data collection and research.
Jordan Creek research helped launch the careers of many scientists who later became leaders in aquatic biology. Work conducted using their data also contributed to the development of the widely used Index of Biological Integrity, with James Karr working with Jordan Creek data and collaborating with several of these researchers to advance stream assessment tools that remain in use today.
Dr. Larimore highly valued mentoring students and young scientists. Following his death in 2015, his family and friends established the R. Weldon Larimore/Jordan Creek Endowment Fund to support undergraduate involvement in aquatic biology research and to continue the scientific legacy of Jordan Creek.
View a list of previous Dr. R.W. Larimore Stream Ecology Internship recipients and their associated research projects.
Associated Researchers
- Quentin Pickering
- William Childers
- Carl Heckrote
- David Menzel
- Charles Goldman
- Michael Duever
- John Peterka
- David McGinty
- David Andrews
- Gary Camenisch
- Paul Angermeier
- Isaac Schlosser
- Martin Jennings
- James Karr
Eligibility
Applicants must be currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Students in environmental sciences, natural resources, biology, animal biology, entomology, geography, or related fields will receive the strongest consideration.
Inquiries
Questions about the Dr. R.W. Larimore Stream Ecology Internship may be directed to:
Yong Cao, Ph.D.
Illinois Natural History Survey
217-244-6847