Graduate Students

Name Degree Areas of Interest Campus
Zac Aanerud Ph.D.

Nutrient management in Southwestern Minnesota corn fields, with the specific interest in understanding the nitrogen cycle 

Twin Cities
Alia Benedict Ph.D.

Studying freshwater food webs, with a focus on how changing winters will affect lower trophic levels in Minnesota lakes

Duluth
Lauren Borst M.S.

Watershed science and management

Twin Cities
Katie Bruesewitz M.S.

Dietary habits of an underperforming walleye population on a northern Minnesota reservoir. 

Duluth
Benjamin Bugno M.S.

Erosional processes of rivers on the north shore of Lake Superior

Duluth
Jake Callaghan Ph.D. Duluth
Bella Callery M.S.

Detection and transportation of Chronic Wasting Disease in sediments

Twin Cities
Shauna Capron M.S.

Tribally directed research on surface water-groundwater interactions within Wild Rice/Manoomin/Psiη lakes

Twin Cities
Maya Casey M.S.

Exploring cyanobacterial diversity across the Great Lakes

Duluth
Zixuan Chen Ph.D.

Reactive transport modeling of nitrate

Twin Cities
Sarah Clauss M.S.

Examining the spread of didymo (considered an aquatic nuisance species) throughout the streams that feed into Lake Superior and how it affects the biological communities in affected streams

Duluth
Ashlyn Cowgill Ph.D. Twin Cities
Zihang Ding Ph.D.

Data-driven Science, Hydrological and hydraulic modeling

Duluth
Kelly Duhn M.S.

Understanding how wetland fungalbiome influences nutrient cycling, especially as it relates to wild rice and the restoration of degraded or dominant species-shifted habitats.

Duluth
Isabel Dunn M.S.

Assessing the effectiveness of Great Lakes coastal wetland restoration

Duluth
Bradly Evraets M.S.

Hydrology

Duluth
Levi Feucht M.S.

Winter fisheries dynamics in inland Minnesota lakes

Duluth
Michael Frett M.S.

Utilizing fish sensory physiology to manage the spread of invasive species

Duluth
David Gallagher M.S.

Characterizing fish communities of Isle Royale's inland lakes using conventional methods and eDNA

Duluth
Leah Glimsdal M.S.

Investigating invasive fish physiology, predator prey relationships, and possible management techniques

Duluth
Jasper Goldstein M.S.

Determining how turbulence in water flow negatively affects zebra mussels

Twin Cities
Morgann Gordon M.S.

Using an underwater autonomous glider and fluoroprobes to assess physical and fluorescent properties of deep chlorophyll layers in Lake Michigan and how it relates to optics, HABs, and aquatic food webs

Duluth
Mason Hoffman M.S.

Developing an assay for the detection of environmental DNA from aquatic invasive plants in the upper Mississippi River basin

Twin Cities
Kristin Huelsbeck M.S.

Aquatic invasive species, specifically invasive zooplankton

Duluth
Vadym Ianaiev Ph.D. Duluth
Lauren Isbell M.S.

Comparing zooplankton assemblages at Isle Royale National Park

Duluth
Kevin Jennings M.S.

Investigating interactions between native and nonnative fish

Duluth
Mariel Jones Ph.D.

Examining the intricacies of spring and winter hydrological effects in Minnesota headwaters and peatland landscapes

Twin Cities
Andy Kasun M.S.

The interplay of watershed history and fluvial equilibrium through use of remote sensing/mapping, sediment budgets, and sediment provenance and tracing

Duluth
Anu Li Ph.D.

Detection and tracing of chronic wasting disease through hydrological transport vectors

Twin Cities
Leslie Ludtke Ph.D.

Groundwater modeling of the Pineland Sands aquifer region to better understand the impacts of intensive irrigation on nearby water bodies and wild rice populations.

Twin Cities
Emma MacNeill Ph.D.

Examining modern and paleo-phytoplankton in the Great Lakes

Duluth
Kaitlyn Madden M.S.

Efficiency of different eDNA methods for invasive species detection in lakes and streams

Twin Cities
Philip Margarit Ph.D.

Using groundwater modeling tools to investigate both the impact of intensive agriculture in the Pineland Sands Aquifer region's water quality and quantity and the impacts of regional groundwater flow and active drainage network dynamics on baseflow recession, solute, and heat transport

Twin Cities
Samantha McClung M.S.

Tracing how that PFAS moves through rivers, streams, and other hydrologic systems

Duluth
Elise McKeever Ph.D.

Thinning trees in a coast redwood dominated forest affects forest hydrology and watersheds.

Duluth
Chloe Mellgren M.S.

Investigating the interactions of tire wear particles and their associated chemical contaminants on aquatic systems

Duluth
Ian Mundy Ph.D. Duluth
Michael Nagel M.S.

Temporal/seasonal changes to crustacean zooplankton species found in a ballast-rich port using contemporary and historical samples

Duluth
Kaela Natwora Ph.D.

Nutrient dynamics and community structure that prompt and support harmful algal blooms (HABs)

Duluth
Anthony Okoboshi Ph.D.

Studying the impact of winter severity on different trophic levels, aiming to understand how seasonal changes influence the structure of food webs in these systems

Duluth
Anna Peterson Bauman M.S.

Impacts of lake associations on water quality

Duluth
Lucas Roessler Caram M.S.

Urban watershed management to improve and protect local water bodies

Twin Cities
Josh Schrope M.S.

Investigating the sublethal impacts of deicing salts on fish behavior

Duluth
Abigail Smason Ph.D.

Metagenomic techniques to track harmful algal blooms in Lake Superior and the St. Louis Estuary

Duluth
Jillian Sweet M.S.

Applied research into aquatic plants and lake restoration strategies

Twin Cities
Liana Sweezer M.S. Duluth
Molly Tilsen M.S.

Using a data-driven approach to networks and dynamics to suggest management strategies for controlling the spread of aquatic invasive species in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

Twin Cities
Angela Tippery M.S.

Extraction and analysis of microplastic samples of multiple sizes from Lake Superior waters

Duluth
Anna Totsch M.S.

Determine effects of lake character and seasonality on AIS detections probability using eDNA. Optimize field and lab methods for maximizing detection probability of multiple AIS.

Duluth
Lien Tran M.S.

Linkage between methanogenesis and the nitrogen cycle in Minnesota's freshwater wetland ecosystem

Duluth
Jack Vannurden M.S.

Conditioning of bighead and silver carp to concurrent acoustic and carbon dioxide deterrents

Duluth
Charles Vaughan M.S.

Studying population demographics and dynamics of Bowfin, Gar, Carpsuckers, Buffalo, and Redhorse species in the St. Croix, Minnesota, and Mississippi rivers

Duluth
Lauren Votava M.S.

Bioaccumulation of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Great Lakes sediment and benthic organisms

Duluth
Aidan Waterhouse M.S.

Using a multi-gear survey approach to improve abundance estimates of pelagic and demersal coregonines on the Great Lakes

Duluth
Quinn Whiting Ph.D.

Study of organic contaminants in Lake Superior sediments

Duluth
Lauren Willman M.S.

Investigating invasive fish physiology and related management techniques

Duluth
Erika Winner M.S.

Effects of landscape properties on the drought resilience of forested watersheds in northern California

Duluth
Jules Witts Ph.D.

Investigating how communities are heard and can organize to improve access to resources and achieve greater equity in the decision-making process

Duluth
Limeimei Xu Ph.D. Twin Cities