Dr. Grace Wilkinson
Principal Investigator
Curriculum Vitae
Grace is a limnologist and ecosystem ecologist who focuses on aquatic-terrestrial linkages. Her research interests are at the intersection of biogeochemistry, water quality and ecosystem resilience.  

She finished her PhD from the University of Virginia Department of Environmental Sciences in 2015 and remained at UVA as a postdoctoral researcher until December 2016. Grace was at Iowa State University as an Assistant Professor from 2017-2020. In January 2021 she moved to the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  

Ellen Albright
PhD Student - UW Madison

Ellen’s research interests focus on the intersection of physical, chemical, and biological processes in aquatic ecosystems, especially in relation to phosphorus cycling. Specifically, she is studying the control points of internal phosphorus loading in shallow lakes with funding from the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Iowa DNR. 

Ellen received her BA in biology and geography from Macalester College in May of 2017. Throughout her undergraduate career, she participated in a variety of summer research projects for the North Temperate Lakes LTER program. This work inspired her interest in water quality research and management. ​

Tyler Butts
PhD Student - UW Madison

Tyler's research interests focus on lake food webs and ecosystem resilience. He will be pursuing his PhD research with funding from the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Iowa DNR.

Tyler received his BS in Organismal Biology and Environmental Science from St. Norbert College in May of 2018. During his time at St. Norbert, Tyler was involved in several research projects such as investigating the effects of sediment dredging within a large river ecosystem to analyzing largemouth bass diet specialization. These experiences prompted Tyler’s interest in aquatic food webs and water quality.

Check out a recent publication from Tyler's undergraduate research, in press at the Journal of Freshwater Ecology

Quin Shingai
MS Student - Iowa State

 Quin's research interests focus on the intersection of environmental and human health. She is pursuing research on cyanotoxin and nutrient cycling with funding from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 

​Quin received her BS in Biology from Iowa State University in December 2018. As an undergraduate, she worked in the Limnology Lab both in the field and in the analytical water chemistry facility. 

Former Lab Members

Dr. Hannah Carroll
Former Postdoctoral Researcher (2020)
Currently Postdoctoral Scholar at UCLA 

Hannah is a quaternary paleoecologist with a background in aquatic sciences. She worked with the lab during the summer of 2020 modeling the spatiotemporal dynamics of cyanobacteria in response to environmental conditions. Currently, she is a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA in the department of Earth Planetary and Space Sciences. Learn more about her researcher here. 

 Dr. Eric Moody
Former Postdoctoral Researcher (2017-2019)
Currently Assistant Professor at Middlebury College, Vermont

During his time in the lab, Eric examined interactions between grazers and harmful algal blooms  with funding from a USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship and worked to understand how the evolution of consumers can alter nutrient fluxes in aquatic ecosystems. Learn more about Eric's research here.

David Ortiz
Former MS Student (2017-2019)
Currently PhD Student at UW-Madison CFL

David's research focused on statistical early warning indicators of harmful algal blooms in lakes. Additionally, he is interested in the spatial heterogeneity of algal blooms in shallow lakes. Learn more about David's research here. 

Rachel Fleck
Former Wilkinson Lab Manager (2017-2020)
​Iowa State Research Scientist II (current)

Rachel is the limnology lab manager at Iowa State University where she shares her knowledge in water chemistry and environmental science daily.  Before working at Iowa State University, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Spanish at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She received her Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin- Stout, where her graduate research quantified rates of internal loading in a shallow lake system. 

Elena Sandry
Former Wilkinson Lab Manager (2018-2020)
Iowa State Research Scientist I (current)

Elena supervises the Des Moines River Water Quality Networking field and laboratory research. This work in funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Previously, Elena worked for the Wilkinson Limnology Laboratory at ISU as a field technician and biology lab technician. She graduated from Iowa State with a bachelors in both Animal Ecology and Environmental Science in 2018.​

Katie Cope
Former Wilkinson Lab Manager (2019-2020)
​Iowa State Research Scientist I (current)

Katie supervises the field sampling and plankton analysis portions of the Ambient Lake Monitoring Program at Iowa State University. She worked for the Wilkinson Limnology Laboratory starting as an undergraduate student in 2017. She graduate from Iowa State with a bachelors in Biology in 2017. 

Haley Grigel
Former Wilkinson Lab Manager (2017-2018)

Haley served as the Biology Lab Manager for the Limnology Lab. She supervised the plankton identification portion of our program including training and overseeing numerous technicians. Haley earned her BS from the University of Vermont. While there, she studied seasonal phytoplankton communities in local water bodies. 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS

Kayla Wernsing (2019-2020): Geology Honors Undergraduate Research
Julia Schneller (2019-2020): Laboratory technician
Michael Tarnow (2020): Field and laboratory technician
​Matthew Kremer (2020): Laboratory technician
Lauren Dams (2020): Laboratory technician
Lucas Krakow (2017, 2020): Field technician
Matthan Kots (2020): Field technician
Shania Walker (2018-2019): Ambient Lake Monitoring Field Supervisor
Adriana Le Compte (2019): Army Corps Field and Laboratory Technician
Kala Rogers (2019): Field technician
Psalm Amos (2019): Lab Technician
Riley Barbour (2018-2019): Field and Lab Technician
Brittany Howes (2019): Lab Technician
Jenna Rasmusson (2019): Field and Lab Technician
​Kari Fiebelkorn (2019): Lab Technician
Halle Rosenboom (2018-2019): Field Technician
Kathryn Holmes (2018): Undergraduate research credits
Katie Hoeppner (2018): Undergraduate research credits
James Thompson (2017, 2019): Field Technician
Emma Califf (2017-2019): Lab Technician
Ashley Heins (2018): Field and Lab Technician
​Lucas Krakow (2017): Field Technician
Katie Luzier (2017): Lab Technician
Sara Meyer (2017): Field and Lab Technician
Rylie Nylin (2018): Field Technician
Ryan Wagner (2018): Field Technician
Olivia Parks (2018): Field & Laboratory Technician
Casey McConnell (2018): Laboratory Technician
Christalyn Thjorne (2018): Army Corps Field and Laboratory Technician
Samuel Stearns (2017): Ambient Lake Monitoring Field Supervisor
Anna Zmich (2017-2018): Lab Technician
Jean-Luc Del Valle (2017): Undergraduate research credits