Current Students
Coy Blair
Coy was born and raised in Iowa and grew up with an interest in conservation and the outdoors. His research focuses on understanding silver carp habitat use and selection in the Wabash River. Coy is broadly interested in invasive species, fish management and river ecosystems.
Carly Capon
Carly received her bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019. Since then, she was working as an aquatic field technician on the Illinois River with the Illinois Natural History Survey.
Jay Kelly
Jay is originally from Stratford, NJ and graduated from Stockton University with a B.S. in Marine Science in 2023. He is interested in aquatic/ behavioral ecology, and his research will involve tracking Silver Carp movement on the Wabash River. In his free time he enjoys hiking, skimboarding, and kayaking with his friends.
Sydney Mcandrews
Sydney's research investigates the role of physical habitat restoration in an urban stream in Champaign-Urbana. She is interested in the community assemblages of fish and macroinvertebrates, as well as understanding food web linkages in urban environments. She is from Denver, Colorado and enjoys swimming, rock climbing, and fishing with the lab!
Ethan Scott
Ethan is originally from central Illinois, and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Fisheries Biology and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point in 2022. Before coming to EIU he worked as an fisheries research technician at the Kaskaskia Biological station with the Illinois Natural History Survey. His research focuses on Smallmouth Bass population demographics in the Kaskaskia River.
Ryan skowronski
Ryan Skowronski is from Shelbyville Illinois just 45 minutes from EIU. He completed his undergrad at EIU, with a degree in environmental biology. His favorite fish is the northern hog sucker, but also enjoys many darter species in Central Illinois streams and rivers.
Devlon Sutton
Devlon is a lifelong resident of Illinois from the banks of the Kankakee River in Momence. After high school, he thirsted for adventure and served actively in the Army as a combat infantryman. After five years of service, Devlon returned to a familiar area to attend Eastern Illinois University. In 2019 he graduated obtaining a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology. He spent the next stage of life at the Illinois River Biological Station in Havana Illinois working primarily on the Illinois River. He is currently back at Eastern Illinois University as a graduate student looking into research pertaining to river ecosystems.
Braden Whisler
Braden grew up in East Berlin, Pennsylvania and obtained his B.S. in environmental science at Juniata College in 2023 where he also played on the men's soccer team for four years. His research focuses on the larval stages of invasive carps in the Wabash and Illinois Rivers. His hobbies include fly-fishing, hunting, soccer, and music. His favorite fish are the bowfin and brook trout.