College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Background:

I grew up in Lowell, MI, just outside of Grand Rapids. I spent lots of time in the outdoors and fishing early on which led to my interest in fisheries. I attended Northern Michigan University where I received a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management in 2020. I assisted a multitude of graduate students working on anything from burbot culture, brook trout movement, physiology, and toxicology. Over the years, I have worked for various agencies with stream fishes focused on research and recovery of threatened and endangered species as well as regionally important species. I am excited to be starting my M.S. at Michigan State University in the Spring of 2023 under Chris Vandergoot and Chris Cahill. When I am not working, I enjoy fishing, hiking, cooking, disc golf, and anything else that gets me outside.

Thesis Work:

In 2017, lake sturgeon were considered extirpated from the Saginaw Basin. The following year, reintroduction efforts began by two hatcheries with unique rearing conditions. My research will focus on post stocking survival, dispersal, and habitat use of juvenile lake sturgeon in the Saginaw Basin using acoustic telemetry. We will also look rearing conditions as a potential factor of these questions.

Area of Interest:

Habitat restoration; stream ecology; species recovery; fisheries management