People – Witnessing Watersheds

Our Team

As an ecologist and public communicator, Mary studies rivers and wetlands and uses photography as a tool to monitor and convey ecosystem change. She is a professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in the departments of Communication and Biology. She enjoys exploring floodplains under the canopies of cottonwood trees and sharing beauty and knowledge of riparian ecosystems.

Troy studies groundwater, with special interest in groundwater-fed streams, water quality, and innovative monitoring techniques. He is an Associate Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He enjoys biking and downtime with family.

Kristen is a graduate student pursuing a degree in Learning Design, and Technology. She graduated from UNK with a degree in Multimedia with minors in Media Production and Nutrition. Along with being an avid reader and baker, she enjoys all things media, especially The Great British Baking Show, movies from the 80s, and Huey Lewis and the News.

Chris earned a major in multimedia and a minor in sociology. He’s interested in sharing stories through videography, design, and web development. He’s not sure how he got here, but he loves it.

Former Members

Jamila graduated from the Master of Public Communication program at UNK. She leads a youth program Cool Critters to increase enjoyment and interest in native animals of Nebraska and supports ecohydrological research along the Platte River. She enjoys all things outdoors and sharing a love of natural resources with others.

Gwendolynn graduated with a master’s degree in UNK’s Public Communication Program. She graduated from Idaho State University with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a focus on natural history. She enjoys sewing, crocheting, and taking care of her cat Bluejeans in her free time.

Mackenzie studied birds, bats, and herps as an undergraduate student. As she moves forward in her career as a wildlife biologist, she hopes to remain working in the field and conducting research to aid in conservation efforts of several species. In her free time, she enjoys camping, hiking, and staying active.

Now a wildlife biologist at the Crane Trust, Bethany’s graduate research focused on soundscapes surrounding avian communities in the Central Platte River Valley. She finds immense joy in biking, kayaking, and rock climbing.

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As master’s student who studied the distribution and natural history of Blanding’s Turtles in the Sandhills of western Nebraska, Ashley has found that science and art work best in tandem, beauty is around every corner, and there is no such thing as a bad cookie.

Jennica used camera traps to document wildlife at the Kearney Outdoor Learning Area (KOLA) for her undergraduate research. She enjoys spending time outdoors with family and the thrill of seeing a new species on camera. Given her passion for science education, she hopes to incorporate knowledge and experiences gained from research to enhance science learning experiences for students and youth. 

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A former researcher and digital-media creator for the lab, Emma now holds a position with the National Park Service’s Appalachian Highlands Inventory & Monitoring network. She enjoys tinkering with ways to derive and convey data, a good/terrible pun, games of all kinds, and finds solace roaming outdoors with her partner and two dogs, camera and notebook in hand.

As an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska Kearney, Nicole was involved in an array of research projects studying sandhill cranes, muskrats, kangaroo rats, and bats. Now that she has graduated, she hopes to continue diversifying her experience at Wind Cave National Park and wherever else life may lead her.

As an undergraduate student, Phoebe studied the microbes and fungi associated with the cheek pouches of kangaroo rats and their seed caches, among other topics. She has a love for herps, rock climbing, identifying anything she can get her hands or binoculars on, and getting outside as much as she possibly can.

Latjor studied snowfall dynamics and vegetation phenology from time-lapse images collected by PBT at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, as well as worked as a field assistant studying Blanding’s turtles in the Sandhills. He is an aspiring wildlife biologist who is searching for what to specialize in, whether in Nebraska’s Sandhills or Idaho’s forests.

Mic assisted with research on Blanding’s turtles, vertebrate use of yucca plants, and GIS analysis of aerial photographs of the Middle Rio Grande.

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Skyler documented biodiversity and behavior of animals clustered around natural and human-made features, such as cattle stock tanks, associated with wetlands in the Sandhills.

Ty characterized species associated with muskrat structures and landscape change in imagery from the western Sandhills. He also assisted with communication projects associated with the Gila River and Middle Rio Grande. He often can be found outdoors, running, mountain biking, and exploring new trails.

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Using passive camera technology, Simon studied the phenology of a beaver lodge along the Platte River. See more. He also supported a variety of field-based, GIS, and public communication activities in the lab.