Weber Fisheries Ecology and Management Lab
Current Staff
Current Graduate Students
Maddie Lewis - PhD student, June 2021 - present
Thesis: Walleye and Muskellunge Reservoir population dynamics
e-mail: mlewis2@iastate.edu
Claire Rude - MS student, June 2021 - present
Thesis: Walleye movement dynamics in Big Sandy Lake, MN
e-mail: clrude@iastate.edu
Brandt Boekhout - MS student, August 2021 - present
Thesis: Invasive carp movement in tributaries of the UMR
e-mail: bboek@iastate.edu
Annika Richards - MS student, January 2022 - present
Thesis: Mussel survival below reservoirs
e-mail: arich18@iastate.edu
Britney Hall - MS student, May 2022 - present
Thesis: Invasive carp reproductive habitat suitability models
e-mail: britneyh@iastate.edu
Dalton Clayton - MS student, January 2023 - present
Thesis: Rusty Crayfish assessment in Iowa
Co-advised with Dr. Moore
e-mail: daltonc@iastate.edu
Justin Harms - MS student, January 2024 - present
Thesis: Invasive carp food web dynamics
Co-advised with Dr. Michael Moore
e-mail: jharms@iastate.edu
Daniel Paulson - MS student, January 2024 - present
Thesis: Shovelnose Sturgeon movement dynamics
Co-advised with Dr. Michael Moore
e-mail: dc003@iastate.edu
McKensie Vaske - MS student, January 2024 - present
Thesis: Shovelnose Sturgeon spring migration and reproduction phenology
Co-advised with Dr. Moore
e-mail: mckensie@iastate.edu
Austin Mannigel - MS student, June 2024 - present
Thesis: Invasive carp movements
e-mail: mannigel@iastate.edu
Danny Gillman - MS student, January 2025 - present
Thesis: Invasive carp movement ecology
e-mail: dgillman@iastate.edu
Etienne Pienaar - MS student, January 2025 - present
Thesis: Invasive carp movement ecology
e-mail: epienaar@iastate.edu
Former Graduate Students
Michael Sundberg (MS) January 2014 - May 2016
Thesis: Development of a classification index for north central Iowa Prairie Pothole Wetlands.
Post-graduation position: Fisheries Biologist, Arkansas Game & Fish
Matthew Bevil (MS) August 2014 - August 2016
Thesis: Ecosystem-level evaluation of Iowa's lake restoration program.
Post-graduation position: Triathlete
Ryan Baldwin (MS) May 2014 - August 2016
Thesis: Evaluating alternative macroinvertebrates sampling methodologies in wetlands: influence of sieve mesh size on relationships between environmental and assemblage variables.
Post-graduation position: Amec Foster Wheeler Environment and Infrastructure
Carlos Camacho (MS) August 2013 - August 2016
Thesis: Asian carp reproductive ecology along the Upper Mississippi River invasion front.
Post-graduation position: Fisheries Biologist, Idaho Fish and Game
Christopher Sullivan (MS) May 2014 - December 2016
Thesis: Population dynamics of Asian carp in the Upper Mississippi River basin.
Post-graduation position: Research Biologist, University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point
Nathan Mills (MS ) August 2014 - December 2016
Thesis: Factors influencing Hg concentrations in Iowa's fishes.
Post-graduation position: Cornell University Fisheries Technician
Nicholas Simpson - MS, January 2016 - May 2018
Thesis: Native fish assemblages in the Boone River, IA.
Post-graduation position: Fishery Biologist, Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Courtney Zambory- MS, January 2016 - May 2018
Thesis: Topeka shiner habitat mapping.
Post-graduation position: Spatial Information Analyst, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Alexander Bybel - MS, January 2016 - December 2018
Thesis: Source-sink dynamics of Topeka shiners in oxbows.
Post-gradation Position: Fisheries Biologist, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon
Aaron Matthews- MS student, August 2016 - May 2019
Thesis: Reproductive ecology of Asian carp in Mississippi River tributaries. (Incomplete)
Position: Fisheries Technician, National Park Service
Andrea Sylvia - PhD, August 2015 - July 2019
Dissertation: Largemouth bass population dynamics.
Post-gradation position: Biostatistician, Florida FWC
Brett Kelly - MS student, August 2017 - August 2020
Dissertation: Spatial distribution and ecological relationships of stream fishes in Iowa’s Driftless Area
Post-graduation position: Biologist, Idaho Fish & Game
Robert Weber - MS Student, August 2016 - August 2020
Thesis: Understanding factors regulating Muskellunge and Walleye reservoir populations using radio telemetry
Post-graduation position: Research Lab Manager, SUNY
Emily Ball - PhD student, January 2015 - May 2020
Dissertation: Looking for a bottleneck: assessment of factors influencing post-stocking survival of advanced fingerling Walleye Sander vitreus
Post-graduation Position: Research Scientist, ISU
Brandon Maahs - MS Student, August 2018 - December 2020
Thesis: Effects of live-release tournament regulation changes for an Iowa Largemouth Bass population
Post-graduation Position: Biologist, Nebraska Game & Parks
Nathan Tillotson - MS student, August 2017 - May 2021
Thesis: Effects of bigheaded carp on zooplankton and larval fish along the Upper Mississippi River invasion front
Post-graduation Position: Fisheries Tech, Idaho Fish & Game
Andrew Annear - MS Student, August 2020 - July 2022
Thesis: Common Carp and Buffalo population estimation
Current position: Biologist, Washington Dept. Fish & Wildlife
Kyle Olivencia - MS student, August 2020 - August 2022
Thesis: Interactions between Walleye and Smallmouth Bass in Lake Oahe
Current position: Biologist, Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission
Marty Simonson - PhD Student, August 2017 - August 2024
Thesis: Common Carp and Buffalo management in shallow lakes
Current position: Biologist, USGS
Erik Griffen - MS student, June 2021 - August 2024
Thesis: Effects of experimental flows on downstream fishes
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Tom Miles - MS student, June 2021 - present
Thesis: Walleye and Muskellunge Reservoir population dynamics
Christian Slone - MS student, May 2022 - August 2024
Thesis: Harvest management of Smallmouth Bass
Connor Fiolek - MS student, June 2022 - December 2024
Thesis: Behavior of Hybrid Striped Bass in reservoirs
e-mail: fiole1cr@iastate.edu
Annika Preheim - MS student, January 2022 - present
Thesis: Reproductive phenology of fishes in altered streams
e-mail: preheim@iastate.edu
Eli Lagacy - MS student, January 2022 - present
Thesis: Stream fish distribution dynamics
e-mail: ejlagacy@iastate.edu
William Cope - PhD student, January 2019 - present
Dissertation: Mechanisms regulating Walleye populations.
e-mail: wrcope@iastate.edu
Seth Renner - MS student, January 2022 - present
Thesis: Invasive carp movement
e-mail: smrenner@iastate.edu
Former Staff
Colin Brocka - Research Scientist, January 2021 - May 2021
Project: Movements of Asian Carp in the Little Sioux River
David Yff - Research Scientist, May 2021 - July 2022
Research: Bigheaded Carp reproduction in the Upper Mississippi River
Jimena Golcher-Benavides - Research Scientist, September 2022 - August 2024
Research: Invasive carp recruitment and hybridization in the Upper Mississippi River
Josh Wegman - Research Technician, May 2021 - August 2024