Research Team

Rebecca North, Ph.D.

Rebecca is an aquatic ecologist and biogeochemist, with expertise on nutrient and algal dynamics in water bodies. She left the great white North and joined the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri in 2016. Her PhD in limnology was obtained at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada where she worked on eutrophication issues in the African and North American Great Lakes.

Andrea Price, Ph.D., Senior Research Specialist

Andrea Price earned her PhD in 2016 from McGill University in Physical Geography. She completed both her MSc and BSc from the University of Victoria in Earth and Ocean Sciences. Her graduate studies focused on using organic-walled microfossils as indicators of water quality in coastal regions around North America. She is currently a Senior Research Specialist in the North Limnology Lab and the Project Manager for the Statewide Lake Assessment Program. She moved to Missouri in 2022 and is enjoying getting to know Missouri’s lakes and cycling paths.

Josh Bruegge, Field Manager

Josh is an aquatic ecologist and joined the North Limnology Lab in 2025 as field manager. He received a B.S. from Iowa State University and M.S. from Eastern Illinois University. Josh has worked as a fish ecologist at the University of Missouri, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Missouri Department of Conservation where he has focused on community- and population-level assessments of conservation issues for imperiled stream fishes. Outside of work, Josh can be found in a boat on the Missouri River or a kayak on some Ozark stream.

Zohreh Mazaheri Kouhanestani, Ph.D. Student

Zohreh is a Ph.D. student in the Water Resources program of the School of Natural Resources under the supervision of Dr. Rebecca North. She received a B.S. of Fisheries Sciences from Isfahan University of Technology and a M.Sc. of Aquatic Ecology from the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran. Prior to joining MU, she worked as a Data Analyst at the Soil and Water Research Institute. Her past research consisted of the studying ichthyoplankton and phytoplankton communities in Coastal ecosystems as well as host-parasite relationship in stream fish species. She is going to investigate the impact of flood on Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs) and the associated toxins in Missouri lakes and reservoirs. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and hopefully exploring the nature of Missouri.

Dr. Jarunetr "Nadia" Sae-Lim, PhD- Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Nadia is a paleoclimatologist who specializes in lake sediment-based climate reconstructions and lake modeling. She earned her PhD in 2023 from Washington University in St. Louis, where her research focuses on late Holocene hydroclimate variability in the Peruvian Andes. From 2024-2025, she was a UC President's Postdoctoral Fellow, working on hydroclimate data-assimilation projects in Mainland Southeast Asia. She joined the North Mizzou Limnology group in 2026 with an interest in applying climate and lake modeling tools to questions with direct relevance for lake management and local communities. Outside of research, she enjoys gardening and aquascaping.

Dr. Arif Ahmed, Postdoctoral Fellow

Arif is a freshwater ecologist who specializes in phytoplankton physiology and water quality dynamics. He earned his PhD in Environmental Science and Management from Montclair State University, New Jersey, in 2026. His research examined how multiple stressors interact and alter freshwater quality and phytoplankton health. He joined the North Limnology Lab as a postdoctoral researcher in 2026, where he now contributes to the Thin Ice project, applying his expertise to understand how changing ice cover influences freshwater phytoplankton structure and function. Outside of his research, he enjoys live music and hiking.

Amelia Littrell, B.S. - Natural Resource Science and Management

Amelia is a graduate from the University of Missouri in Natural Resources, with an emphasis in Fisheries and Wildlife. She joined the lab in Fall 2024 and has been working mostly in the lab as well as in the field. She is interested in a career in outdoor education and outreach, and really appreciates the versatility and new skills this job has come to offer. Outside of the lab, Amelia enjoys hiking and learning more about Missouri’s resources.

Psalm Amos, Research Technician

Psalm earned his MS in Environmental Science from Iowa State University in 2023. His research interests are lake water quality and monitoring pollution in bodies of water. His graduate studies delved into surveying microplastic concentrations in Iowa lakes it's relation to abiotic, biotic, and anthropogenic factors. He is new to the state of Missouri and joined the lab in December 2025. He enjoys backpacking internationally, reviewing movies, reading, and gaming.

Kari Leake, Field Technician

Kari earned her B.S. in Natural Resource Science and Management from the University of Missouri in 2025. She joined the North Limnology Lab as an undergrad in 2024 as a field and lab technician. During her time as a student in the lab, she focused on analyzing cyanotoxins and researched using remote sensing to estimate chlorophyll concentrations in Missouri reservoirs. Post graduation, she now primarily conducts fieldwork and lab analyses.

Thalia Huebner, Field Technician

Thalia is a senior at Mizzou graduating in Winter of 2025 with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology. She joined the lab in January of 2025 and works in and out of lab doing field work, analyzing nutrients from water samples, and prepping for the Thin Ice, SLAP, and ROSS projects. After graduating she will relocate to Canada to pursue a Masters in Marine Biology.

Tobi Miller, Undergraduate Student

Tobi is a senior studying Natural Resources Science and Management with an emphasis in Forest Services. Tobi worked for two summers with the Rocky Mountain Conservation Corps and recently joined the limnology lab as a member of the field team in Fall 2025. Tobi enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and road tripping across the country. Tobi hopes to continue her work after graduation in environmental conservation and preservation and would love to keep working outdoors for as long as she can.

Robbie Tyson, Field Technician

Robbie Tyson is senior at Mizzou studying Natural Resources Science and Management with an emphasis in Fisheries and Wildlife. He joined the Limnology lab in the Fall of 2025. In his free time, he likes to fish, hike, or do anything in the outdoors. After graduating, he plans to get his master's degree in wildlife science and continue on to work in game bird management or research.

Braydon Dickmeyer, Undergraduate Student

Braydon is a sophomore at Mizzou studying Environmental Science in hydrology with a GIS certificate. His interest is hiking, working out, reading, listening to music, and tennis/pickleball.

Adrianna Williams, Undergraduate Student

Adrianna is a senior at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science alongside a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science focused on land and soil. She has worked for two summers working as a whitewater rafting guide and fighting for environmental transparency in Moab, Utah. She recently joined the limnology lab as a member of the field team in Fall 2025. Adrianna enjoys snowboarding, rock climbing and fire performances. She hopes to attend graduate school following graduation to further her studies.

Sam Laaker, Undergraduate Student

Sam is a junior at the University of Arkansas studying Environmental Engineering. He recently joined the lab in May of 2026 as a summer intern doing both field and laboratory work. In his free time, he likes to fish, work out, golf, play basketball, travel, or just be outside. After graduating, he plans to work in wastewater treatment at an engineering firm.

Meghan Mclaughlin, Undergraduate Student

Meghan is a 3rd year undergraduate at the Georgia Institute of Technology studying environmental science. She joined the limnology lab for the summer as an intern with the USDA Watershed Management REEU program. She enjoys running, hiking, and being outdoors, and she hopes to pursue a career in aquatic environmental chemistry research.

Lucas Tennyson, Undergraduate Student

Lucas Tennyson is pursuing a bachelor's degree in history at Hendrix college in Conway, Arkansas. His research interests include the environmental and cultural history of the United States, looking particularly at the country's industrialization and consequential extractive attitude towards nature. Lucas is one of the lab's Rovers, so most of his time is spent in the field or staring at a filtering cup for hours. When the last lake of the day is filtered and all of the gear is unloaded, you can find him reading, drawing, or driving with the windows down. In the fall, Lucas will return to Hendrix and continue digging through archives and writing too-long papers!