Here are the important people: My graduate (sometimes gradual) students and research associates are the cogs by which this whole process works. Please take a moment to read about each one.
Current students
A. Henry Gasperecz
Henry started on the national horizon scan project in spring 2023 and will earn his MS in spring 2026. His personal research is comparing gear-based estimates richness, diversity, and secondary production of immature and adult aquatic insects across a longitudinal gradient.
Oliver Ljustina
Oliver started his Ph.D. program in fall 2022 while employed as an instructor at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he earned his MS in 2018. His research examines predation of invasive fish by native snakes, examining whether morphology may convey advantages to certain snake species.
Emillee Monahan
Emillee started her MS program in summer 2025. She has been involved in the national horizon scan project for several years. Her MS research will address the role of social media in attitudes and norms related to invasive species and mapping pathways of high risk speices.
Bailey Pentz
Bailey started her MS program in spring 2024 after working as a research associate studying trophic impacts of invasive carps in coastal freshwater systems and the Red River and Atchafalaya River systems. She is continuing on the project as her MS research.
Research Associates
It would be much more difficult to be successful without research support. Currently, I am not supporting research associates. Some recent research associates are listed in the alum section.
Alums
Joseph Brown
Joe started on the national horizon scan project in fall 2022 and is scheduled to graduate with his MS in summer 2024. While here, Joe won a Bridge to Doctorate Fellowship! In addition to the horizon scan and mastering climate matching in R, Joe conducted a human dimensions research project on the aquarium trade interviewing 350 people in seven states in the southeastern and midwestern United States.
William Budnick
William arrived at LSU from Auburn University in August 2012. He investigated the influence of biogeographic interruptions on stream crayfish species composition and morphometry in Louisiana streams. He graduated with his M.S. in May 2015 and completed a Ph.D. at University of Texas-Arlington in 2020. He was most recently with the U.S. Geological Survey as an invasive species biologist.
Kristy (Durham) Capelle
Kristy joined LSU from Clemson University in August 2014. She studied factors influencing the survival of farm-raised and stocked alligators. Her work informed future alligator population enhancement efforts. Kristy was the first "desktop" project in this group and, thanks to her love of coffee, processed release and fate data for over 23,000 alligators! She graduated with her M.S. in 2016 and is living in South Carolina.
Kaydence Dubroc
Kaydence was a research associate during 2023-2024 supporting invasive carp research. Kaydence started a graduate program in LSU's Department of Biological Sciences in 2025.
Ali (Fitzgerald) Trumbo
Ali joined LSU from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in August 2010. She studied subtropical, coastal riverine fish populations across multiple ecoregions to investigate whether fish-habitat niche specializations are affected more influenced by local or landscape factors. She defended her MS in July 2012 and is currently with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Melissa (Fries) Gray
Melissa came to LSU from The Ohio State University in 2008. Her MS project was quantifying the physical and chemical factors that appear to be controlling the amount and rate of introgression between Florida Bass and Largemouth Bass. . She graduated with her MS in 2010 and completed her degree from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. She is now a practicing veterinarian in Idaho.
Nash Jackson
Nash led a project examining poaching of Whooping Cranes during 2021. Nash later completed a M.S. at South Dakota State University.
Deb Kelly
After a long career with LSU, Deb retired from her position as research associate in 2021. Deb mentored generations of undergraduate and graduate students.
Samantha Lott
Samantha arrived at LSU from the Rochester Institute of Technology in January 2014. She studied abundance and transience of forested stream and river crayfish of central Louisiana. She graduated in December 2015. She is employed with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Lucien "Luke" Laborde Jr.
Luke came to LSU after a long and successful career in business. His lifelong commitment to wildlife activism led to a Ph.D. program in human dimensions. Luke was jointly advised with Dr. Frank Rohwer and graduated in December 2014. He now is an instructor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources.
.jpg)
Catherine Murphy
Catherine came to LSU after a long and distinguished career with the US Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, MS in 2008. Her PhD project quantified the interrelationships among periphyton, fungi, invertebrates, and fishes in coastal plain streams across a variety of in-situ conditions. Catherine also earned a MS in Applied Statistics in the Department of Experimental Statistics with Dr. James Geaghan. She completed her Ph.D. in 2017 and is with Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc. as an ecologist.
Mariah Noveh
Mariah was a research associate from 2018-2023. She led field data collection supporting fish and aquatic invertebrate research in the Atchafalaya River basin, coastal freshwater swamps, and small wadeable streams. Mariah now works for Dr. Megan LaPeyre conducting coastal research.
Tiffany Pasco
Tiffany was a research associate from 2013-2021. She led field data collection supporting fish and aquatic invertebrate research in the Atchafalaya River basin, coastal freshwater swamps, and small wadeable streams. Tiffany now works for Sea Grant.
Catherine Reuter
Catherine arrived at LSU from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division in June 2014. She is a graduate of Macalaster College. She investigated the impacts of the loss of connectivity among streams systems as a result of impoundments. She graduated December 2015 and is now jointly working as a sustainability coordinator and in farming.
William Sheftall IV
Will came to LSU from Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee in 2009. His MS project was studying floodplain creek and lake zooplankton community structure with regard to seasonal variation and distance from the Ouachita River. Will graduated with his M.S. in 2011.
Michael Sullivan
Michael joined the group in fall 2019 and studied attitudes and opinions of Louisiana waterfowl hunters. He was co-advised by Dr. Laborde (an alum!). Michael graduated with his MS in December 2021 and is now employed with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Erin Thayer
Erin came to LSU in the summer of 2016 after completing her MS at West Virginia University. Erin's research will examine trophic and nutrient connectivity along longitudinal and lateral (floodplain) gradients. Erin also is the TA for Ichthyology and Aquatic Entomology. Fun fact: Erin's MS adviser was the same as mine. Erin is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Ivan Vargas-Lopez
Ivan is a native of Panama and arrived at LSU in the spring of 2015 after graduating from Zamarano University in Hondurus. Ivan was interested in fishing practices and studied the harvest practices and decision making of Atchafalaya River basin crawfishermen. Ivan successfully defended his thesis in fall 2017 and competed a Ph.D. in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences in 2023 where he is currently a post-doc.
Charlie Wahl
Charlie joined as a PhD student in 2018 while working in the Department of Entomology. He completed his MS at the University of Maryland. He was co-advised by Dr. Rodrigo Diaz. His project was examining regime shifts in nutrients, vegetation, fish, and macroinvertebrates resulting from invasive Giant Salvinia. He finished his Ph.D. in May 2021 and is now with the U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado.
Colleen Walsh
Colleen rejoined our group a MS student in 2018 after working in the Department of Entomology. Her project was examining the genetic composition, age and growth, and habitat associations of Largemouth Bass. She graduated in December 2021 and was a research associate from 2021 through 2024.
Pat Wooden
Pat was a student in the Department of Entomology and was co-advised by Dr. Mike Stout. Her research was the response of Hemiptera to the annual flood pulse in the Atchafalaya River swamp. She defended in fall 2019 and completed a Ph.D. at Clemson University in 2023 and is now a post-doc at Mississippi State University.
In memoriam
Shiznit (2001-2023)
Chicken (? - 2024)
