PhD and MS Students

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Ph.D. Students

Tanya Fendler

Tanya Fendler

Dr. Garvey's Lab

In May 2018, Tanya received her Master of Science degree through the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) at the University of Windsor in Canada. While at GLIER, she focused on understanding the impacts of ontogeny, invasive species, and partial migration on the alimental ecology of lake sturgeon, a species at risk. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student at the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale. The overall purpose of her dissertation is to explore the past, present, and future resource requirements of invasive carp by uncovering (1) current habitat uses and requirements, and (2) their and other invasive species’ expansion potential amidst climate change.
Yixuan Feng

Yixuan Feng

Dr. Garvey's Lab

Junman Haung

Junman Haung

Dr Heist's Lab

Junman is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Heist Lab. He is interested in how species evolve through adapting to changing environments, what molecular mechanisms play into polyploid organism adaptive evolution, and how conservation genetics is done. Currently, he is working on developing and optimizing GTseq (Genotyping-in-Thousands by sequencing) SNP panel for species discrimination in the genus Scaphirhynchus and investigating population genetics of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), an endangered species in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. More specifically, he is looking at the population structure and effective population size of pallid sturgeon in different management units to assess the species recovery and reconstruct the demographic history using hundreds of SNPs data.
Aaron Krolow

Aaron Krolow

Dr. Heist's Lab

Aaron received his B.S. at Texas State University and his M.S. at Southeastern Louisiana University. He is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at SIU. His research currently is on assessing Flathead Catfish populations in Missouri reservoirs using microsatellites. His previous research was on assessing fish communities around artificial reefs using environmental DNA (eDNA).

M.S. Students

Thomas Bremke

Thomas Bremke

Dr. Garvey's Lab

In 2015, Thomas earned his Associate of Arts and Associate of Science from Lorain County Community College. He then graduated in 2020 from Cleveland State University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a focus on Biology. During his time at Cleveland State, he interned with the University of Florida’s Project Coast to monitor Red Tide in the Big Bend Region in the Gulf of Mexico. Thomas is currently a master’s student in Dr. Garvey’s lab researching silver carp and shovelnose sturgeon.

Joshua Fluur

Joshua Fluur

Dr. Whitledge's Lab

Cameron Haeffner

Cameron Haeffner

Dr. Whitledge's Lab

Kelli Hill

Kelli Hill

Dr. Garvey's Lab

In 2020 Kelli received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Ohio Northern University. She is currently a master’s student in Dr. Garvey’s lab studying invasive silver carp.

Cristina La

Cristina La

Dr. Lydy's Lab

Braden Weaver

Dr. Lydy's Lab

Koaw Zaczek

Koaw Zaczek

Dr. Garvey's Lab

Koaw completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado – Boulder in the study of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology. He spent a number of years in the private sector, primarily consulting and working on his own nature-education company (Koaw Nature) before returning to academia. Currently he is pursuing a M.S. at SIU within the Zoology Department and the Center for Fisheries Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences. Currently, his research focuses on species assemblages, movements, and interspecific interactions for fishes transitioning/inhabiting within swamp and riverine habitats. Studying fishes and fishing are among his favorite activities. 

Links

SIUC Student Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

Saluki Reefers Marine Biology Club