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Bried Lab
wetlands | odonates | insect conservation | applied plant ecology | community ecology
L to R: Nathan Solano, Rohini Vembar, Jason Bried, Matt Finzel, Aiden Garrett, Uriah Elliott
June 2023
Postdoctoral Researchers
Ayla Skorupa, 2024-
Dr. Skorupa is a malacologist and INHS postdoc analyzing aquatic invertebrate vulnerabilities to Midwest climate change, supported by the USGS Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center.
Lisa Nicvert*, 2024-
Dr. Nicvert is a statistical ecologist working on the DRAGON project supported by the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research. *supervised by the DRAGON group (including Bried)
Martin Jeanmougin*, 2018-19
Dr. Jeanmougin was a Mitacs postdoc analyzing a large wetland biodiversity dataset for the University of Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. He is now at the French National Museum of Natural History in Paris and we continue to collaborate through the DRAGON project. *co-supervised with Dr. Jan Ciborowski
Doctoral Students
Weiqing Qu*, 2025-
Weiqing is a PEEC Ph.D. student assessing the resilience of wetland biodiversity to Midwest climate change, supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. *co-advised with Dr. Suneeti Jog
Emmy Medina-Espinoza*, 2024-
Emmy is a PEEC Ph.D. student investigating community structure and genetics of cockroaches in oceanic island and tropical forest contexts, supported by the Illinois Distinguished Fellowship program. *co-advised with Dr. Dominic Evangelista
Eden Rozing*, 2024-
Eden is an NRES Ph.D. student exploring social aspects of freshwater invertebrate conservation in the context of climate change, supported in part through our Midwest CASC project. *co-advised by Dr. Chloe Wardropper and Dr. Carena van Riper (w/ committee member Bried)
Master's Students
Aidan Garrett, 2023-
Aidan is an Entomology M.S. student exploring detection and taxonomic surrogacy around an endangered bumblebee, supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Matthew Finzel*, M.S. 2025, NRES
Matt leaned on his extensive botanical expertise to evaluate taxonomic surrogates in wetland floristic quality assessments, supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation. He works for the Illinois Natural History Survey's Wetland Science Program. *co-advised with Dr. Suneeti Jog
Rohini Vembar*, M.S. 2024, NRES
Rohini used her background in environmental management and consulting to develop new wetland assessment and prioritization tools for Illinois and the greater Midwest, supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation and USGS Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. She now works for an environmental consulting firm near Baltimore. *co-advised with Dr. Suneeti Jog
Wade Boys*, M.S. 2019, Biological Sciences
Wade conducted extensive field surveys and niche modelling for two rare stream dragonflies endemic to the Ozark-Ouachita mountain region, supported by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Wade became a PhD student studying the role of phenotypic plasticity in shaping species distributions. *advised by Dr. Adam Siepielski (co-mentored by Bried as the grant P.I.)
Tommi Fouts*, M.S. 2019, Natural Sciences
Tommi explored the wetland plant communities of Oklahoma, broadly asking whether floristic quality indicator species may exist for wetlands. Tommi now works as a Public Health Specialist for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. *co-advised with Dr. Suneeti Jog
Undergraduates
Sydney Hatch, 2025-, Natural Resources major, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Sydney is studying plant conservatism in old and recent surveys of Illinois remnant prairies and agricultural grasslands (for NRES 295 Undergraduate Research)
Suhani Peramanu, 2023-24, Integrative Biology major & Summer Research Assistant, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign & Illinois Natural History Survey
Suhani collaborated on a pond metacommunity study (for IB 290 & 390 research experience) and presented at the U of I Undergraduate Research Symposium. She also served as a summer research assistant on our insect projects.
Ella Huller, 2023-24, Integrative Biology major, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ella collaborated on a pond metacommunity study (for IB 290 & IB 390 research experience) and presented a bumblebee analysis at the U of I Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Uriah Elliott, 2023, Summer Research Opportunities Program, Prairie Research Institute
Uriah helped develop a pond metacommunity study in the Summer Research Opportunities Program and presented her work at the Illinois Summer Research Symposium.
Nathan Solano, 2023, Summer Research Opportunities Program, Prairie Research Institute
Nathan helped with a conservatism-based nature preserve ranking for pollinators in the Summer Research Opportunities Program and presented his work at the Illinois Summer Research Symposium.
Stacey Murray, 2016-17, Environmental, Health and Safety Management major, Northeastern State University
Stacey used an outdoor mesocosm experiment to study interactions of vegetation structure and dragonfly emergence. She presented for an undergrad research symposium and published in the International Journal of Odonatology.
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