Dr. John Sloan - Watershed Scientist
Dr. Sloan's research at NGRREC addresses the connection between land management practices and water quality. Currently, many rivers and streams throughout Illinois and the Upper Mississippi River watershed are classified as impaired because poor water quality prevents them from being fully utilized by the community. Agriculture is the primary land use in the upper Mississippi River Basin, and therefore has the largest impact on water quality. The watershed science project at NGRREC focuses on agricultural and urban practices that result in excessive nutrients and sediments being delivered to streams and rivers, and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. Traci Paslay - Laboratory Technician I Traci manages the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory at NGRREC. She operates and maintains all analytical equipment in the lab including a Smartchem 210 Discrete Analyzer, an Elementar TOC analyzer, and an Elementar Vario Max carbon-nitrogen analyser. Her primary role is to measure the concentrations of nutrients in water, sediments, soils, and vegetation from around the Mississippi River watershed. Traci began working in the lab as an intern while completing her A.A.S degree as a biological laboratory technician at Lewis and Clark Community College. She continued her studies at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville where she completed her B.S. degree in in Integrative Biology in 2022. Lab Staff Alumni Miles Corcoran, M.S. During his time at NGRREC, Miles performed multiple roles that supported all the research programs at the Center. He was responsible for collecting high resolution water quality data, concerning both physical and biological indicators, to determine ecological health. One of his primary roles was to manage NGRREC's signature Great Rivers Ecological Observatory (GREON) program. Miles is interested in large river and lake ecology, with a focus on water quality and nutrient pollution. He has a B.S. in Integrative Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2009), and a master’s degree in Biological Sciences from Michigan Technological University (2013). Rachael Van Essen, M.S. While at NGRREC, Rachael managed the environmental chemistry lab, performed GIS analyses, and conducted research related to bat communities in wetlands and riparian zones. She is now Director of the Office of Sustainability and Stewardship at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA. |
Watershed Science Interns Past and Present
May - August 2022
May - August 2021
May - August 2020
May - August 2019
May - August 2018
May - August 2017
January - May 2017
May - August 2016
May - August 2014
May - August 2013
- Leslie Kuperle, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
May - August 2021
- Faith Van Winkle, Purdue University
- Annette Marshall, Lewis and Clark Community College (REU Intern)
- MaKenzy Sorsen, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville (REU Intern)
May - August 2020
- No interns due to COVID Pandemic
May - August 2019
- Emily Schultz, Lewis and Clark Community College
- Kayleen Larose, Plymouth State University
- Xander Lamping, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
May - August 2018
- Catlin Patrick, Lewis and Clark Community College
- Tyler Befus, Western Michigan University
- Hana Thurman, University of Virginia
May - August 2017
- David Pan, Saint Louis University
- Brittany Lutz, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
January - May 2017
- Traci Paslay, Lewis and Clark Community College
May - August 2016
- Alexander McKay, Waubonsee Community College - Relating continuous in-situ measurements from a water quality monitoring platform to lake ecosystem dynamics
- Lauren Tisdale, University of Michigan- Ann Arbor - Water and soil quality benefits from restoring a long-term row-crop landscape to a mesic prairie and savannah
- Aneesh Venkata, Amherst College - Assessing sediment dynamics and local community perceptions of harmful algal blooms
May - August 2014
- Erik Stanek, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Modeling the Production of 2-Methylisoborneol and Geosmin in the Upper Mississippi River
May - August 2013
- Kaylin Palmisano, Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) - Evaluation of drinking water treatment residuals as an ingredient for green roof soil