People

I am an Assistant Professor in the Plant Biology Program at Southern Illinois University and the PI of the Global Change and Invasion Ecology Lab. You can find more information about me here.

Leslie is a Master's student from El Paso, Texas. Her research interests are in plant community ecology and how plant communities respond to change, with focal points on invasive species. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2025. Leslie enjoys hiking, car camping, sudoku, and re-watching Jurassic Park during her free time. 

Kendall is a Master's student who joined the GCIE and SWEL in the fall of 2026. She was awarded her B.S in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the spring of 2026. She is interested in ecology and how native species respond to different ecosystem management approaches. At SIU, she studies deer browse availability following invasive species management. Her project also focuses on pine invasion in oak forests and the effects of management on native plant community re-assembly.

Hi, my name is Ihtzel, and I'm a plant biology major specializing in ecology at SIU. I'm currently in my Junior year and aspire to be a scientist for the National Park Service. In my free time, I also enjoy hiking, reading, and hanging out with my friends! 

I am a Senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Plant Biology. I graduated from Altamont Community High School in 2022.

I am a Junior at SIUC majoring in Plant Biology with a minor in chemistry. I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking and backpacking as well as watching horror movies and reading. I’m the secretary of the SIUC Wildlife Society chapter and interested in invasive species research working towards my long-term goal of plant science research in the Midwest.