Emily is a freshwater ecologist with research interests in energy flow and food web interactions, stable isotope techniques, and water quality. Emily is especially interested in working across large spatial and temporal scales to understand broad ecological patterns. Emily holds masters and PhD degrees in ecology from the University of Kansas and conducted postdoctoral research in limnology at Bates College. Prior to ESF, Emily taught courses in biology and ecology at the University of Kansas, Washburn University, and Colby College. Emily also directs the ESF Cranberry Lake Biological Station (learn more here).

Ben is a second-year MS student interested in aquatic food web and fish ecology, impacts of invasive species, and human dimensions of conservation. He received a bachelor’s degree from PennWest – California in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and has gained experience in the field of aquatic science through positions in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, and Ohio. He hopes to one day work in a position with a balance of research and conservation education. Outside of research, he loves to fish, hike, camp, and golf. Ben is co-advised by Dr. John Farrell.

Matt is a second-year MS student interested in aquatic ecology, stream conservation and restoration, and climate change effects on aquatic systems. He received a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in Biology and Environmental Science where he worked on Carp and Bigmouth Buffalo population studies. Matt also has previous experience in stream and river monitoring through BLM’s AIM program in California, Oregon, and Washington. Matt is co-advised by Dr. John Farrell.

Amka is a second-year Ph.D. student interested in aquatic food web ecology and the effects of freshwater plastic pollution on fish physiological process and community interactions. Amka holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Ecology from the National University of Mongolia. Amka also has previous experience in monitoring community ecology of fish and plastic pollution research in Mongolia and the western U.S. as part of an NSF-funded Ecological Riverine Synthesis project (MACRO). Previously, Amka worked as an ecologist and ornithologist for the Professional Biological Society of Mongolia and Oyu Tolgoi mining company.

Grace is a junior studying Aquatics and Fisheries at ESF. She is interested in large predatory fish, like trout and muskellunge and their niche in response to environmental factors like invasive species presence. Someday, she hopes to study and work in marine biology, specifically hammerhead sharks. Her current research focuses on the impact of invasive species on the size and ages of Adirondack brook trout.

Nora is a junior transfer student majoring in Conservation Biology at ESF. Her research interests include food webs, fish ecology, impacts of invasive species, and community-based conservation emphasizing Indigenous knowledge and holistic stewardship of natural systems. She is currently studying bottom-up processes in freshwater systems by examining carotenoid content in plankton and macroinvertebrates in Adirondack brook trout ponds to investigate how these factors relate to brook trout health across invasion gradients. She is also involved in the Onondaga Lake biomonitoring survey, gaining experience in environmental impact assessment and community-based conservation.

Inspired by her Yemeni heritage, Nora is passionate about applying traditional ecological knowledge to island ecology and understudied landscapes like Socotra, Yemen, in her future work.

Elise is a senior majoring in Conservation Biology at ESF. She is interested in aquatic ecology and biomonitoring as a tool for informing management of freshwater systems. Elise contributed research on the impacts of beaver activity on periphyton nutritional quality as part of ongoing graduate research. Elise is currently working in a seasonal position at Lake Stewards of Maine where she will help train volunteers to survey for and identify aquatic invasive plants to support ongoing statewide invasive species response.

Connor is a sophomore at ESF, studying Aquatic Fisheries Science. He is passionate about fish physiology, microplastic pollution, and aquatic conservation. His current research focuses on microplastic concentrations and cortisol levels in Oneida Lake Walleye.

Jack successfully defended his MS in August 2025. His MS research investigated the influence of seasonal habitat availability on brook trout diet and foraging behavior. Jack is broadly interested in aquatic food web ecology, brook trout, and climate change in the Adirondacks. He is an ESF undergraduate alum from Rochester, NY who has had the pleasure of working on multiple aquatic species restoration projects across the Great Lakes region. Jack is now working as a research technician with Dr. Daniel Allen and Dr. Jon Sweetman at Penn State University.

Abby successfully defended her MS on the impacts of beaver engineering on aquatic insect food webs in June 2025. Abby's interests lie in aquatic macroinvertebrate ecology, food web dynamics, and responses to ecosystem change. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science from Binghamton University, where she studied host-parasitoid interaction dynamics of oak gall wasps. Abby also has previous experience working for SUNY ESF’s aquatic invasive species monitoring program on several Finger Lakes. Outside of research, she enjoys reading, cooking, and music.

Garett is a senior majoring in Environmental Biology at ESF. A love of being in the field and a passion for ecotone dynamics have driven his often tangential academic career. Garett has studied tropical ecology in Colombia and worked as a TA in Costa Rica. He is currently working with aquatic macroinvertebrates as biomonitoring agents in streams affected by landfill leachate. After graduation, Garett aspires to apply what he has learned at ESF to conservation research in Tropical Latin America.

Kendal graduated from SUNY ESF with a B.S. degree in Wildlife Science in 2025. Kendal previously received an A.A.S. in Forestry from the SUNY ESF Ranger School. They are interested in biomonitoring using aquatic macroinvertebrates, freshwater wetland ecology, and forested stream ecology. They have worked on lotic and lentic monitoring projects at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station. They are currently employed as a Field Tech with the Garcia Lab at Oregon State University.

Matthew graduated from SUNY ESF with a B.S. degree in Aquatics and Fisheries Science. His primary interest is in cold water fish species, with his favorite being brook trout. During his time at ESF, Matthew conducted an independent project on ponded Adirondack brook trout and was involved with the American Fisheries Society and the Onondaga Lake Biomonitoring Project. Matthew is currently working on his M.S. degree on St. Lawrence River sturgeon telemetry with the Farrell Lab at SUNY ESF.