Jinelle Sperry (she/her)
Adjunct Assistant Professor
US Army ERDC-CERL
P.O. Box 9005
Champaign, IL 61826
Phone: 217-373-4543
Email
Ph.D. 2008 – University of Illinois; Champaign, IL
M.S. 2004 – Humboldt State University; Arcata, CA
B.S. 1999 – University of Montana; Missoula, MT
Research Interests: My research has addressed a wide array of topics clustered around the core theme of community ecology and the effects of human-caused and natural disturbances on multi-species interactions. Most of my recent work has focused on ecological factors that influence multi-species interactions and the use of eDNA for informing community ecology.
Olivia Clausen (she/her)
Lab Manager
B.S. 2023 – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Research interests: I am broadly interested in conservation biology, plant systematics, community ecology, and invasive species. I began work for Dr. Sperry as an undergraduate intern in 2021 sorting fecal samples from Hawaiian birds to bring insight to seed dispersal networks at Pohakuloa Training Area. Now, as a research biologist for the US Army Corps of Engineers, I work with Dr. Sperry on projects related to the conservation of threatened and endangered species on military lands using both conventional surveys and environmental DNA.
Mark Johnson (he/him)
Research Biologist
Ph.D. 2022 – Texas Tech University
M.S. 2017 – Texas Tech University
B.S. 2015 – Millersville University
Research Interest: I am broadly interested in using molecular tools to understand species biodiversity, community and population ecology, and conservation ecology particularly for threatened, endangered, and invasive species. Using classic and novel environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques, I study the expansion of molecular ecology to guide species management. I work with a wide range of taxa through the lens of molecular tools including plants, fungi, mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. I am also interested in both the ecology of eDNA (origin, state, transport and fate) and how we can use molecular tools to address ecological questions such as occupancy, abiotic and biotic interactions, and population genetics. My background focused on the use of airborne environmental DNA to monitor plant and animal communities, including the use of metabarcoding, ecology of airborne eDNA, and proof-of-concept approaches. My current research spans a wide-range of eDNA applications, including the development of novel metabarcoding and species-specific eDNA techniques such as airborne eDNA and residual pollinator eDNA, and the use of aquatic, sediment, and fecal eDNA analysis to address ecological questions.
Patrick Wolff (he/him)
Wildlife Biologist
US Army ERDC-CERL
2902 Newmark Dr.
Champaign, IL 61822
Phone: 217-373-5847
Email
Patrick’s Webpage
M.S. 2013 – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
B.S. 2010 – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Research Interests: My work focuses on the conservation and management of wildlife on military lands, with an emphasis on threatened and endangered species. Using innovative technologies to survey, evaluate, and manage wildlife populations, I seek to reconcile potential conflict between species conservation measures and military activities.
I study a wide range of taxa including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates. My research primarily uses noninvasive methods, such as bioacoustics and environmental DNA (eDNA), to better understand distributions, phenology, and statuses of wildlife populations. Some current projects include monitoring of at-risk bats, real-time detection and reporting of endangered birds using artificial intelligence, and developing machine learning approaches for improved identification of bat echolocation calls. Previous research has spanned the subjects of predator-prey interactions, animal behavior, landscape ecology, urban ecology, and stress physiology to examine the ways that animals cope, adapt, and thrive in human-altered ecosystems
Sasha Tetzlaff (he/him)
Research Biologist
Ph.D. 2019 – University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
M.S. 2015 – Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN
B.S. 2011 – Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL
Research Interests: My research interests broadly encompass behavior, ecology, conservation, and management of wildlife—particularly threatened, endangered, and at-risk species. An overarching goal of my work is to integrate multiple disciplines to inform wildlife management and conservation issues. This has led to field and laboratory studies focused on, movement and space use, habitat selection, physiology, foraging, wildlife diseases, captive animal welfare, reintroduction biology, animal personality, predator-prey interactions, social network analysis, and modeling population and community parameters (e.g., occupancy, abundance, and survival) using conventional (e.g., visual encounter) and more contemporary (e.g., eDNA, acoustic monitoring) survey techniques.
Joshua Angell (he/him)
M.S Student
B.S. 2022 – Biology from Earlham College
Research Interests: My work explores the connections between habitat quality, arthropod communities, and the diets of nesting birds in tall-grass prairies using both traditional sampling and fecal metabardocing data from nestlings. Since grassland birds are in steeper decline than any other habitat group of birds in North America, it is important to have a thorough understanding of which characteristics of their habitats and food are important for successful breeding.
Jonah Dominguez (he/him)
PhD Student
B.A. 2022- Kenyon College, Ohio
Research Interests: I’m interested in a myriad of topics, but particularly those related to interspecies interactions in communication and foraging. Right now, my work focuses examining the alarm call vocalizations of birds during mixed species flocks, looking at how birds respond to different calls based on familiarity and role of the bird in the flock.
Bianca Saftoiu (she/her)
M.S Student
B.S. 2019 – Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Research interests: My research interests are primarily in mammalogy, conservation biology, community ecology, and human-wildlife interactions. Currently, my research applies traditional and modern methods, including live trapping, game cameras and airborne environmental DNA (eDNA), to assess how small mammal communities within restored prairies are influenced by habitat and landscape level covariates along an urban to rural gradient. Given that prairies are among the most threatened habitats in North America, this type of assessment provides valuable information to land managers and practitioners to assist in restoring prairie ecosystem health.
Sonia Tomczyk (she/her)
M.S Student
B.S. 2021 – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Research Interests: My research aims to investigate the effects of different habitats on the distribution and abundance of Chuck-will’s-widows (CWWI) across Fort Cavazos. I am specifically focusing on quantifying the diversity of CWWI prey items and examining the intricate relationships between CWWI, habitat characteristics, and prey. Additionally, my work involves exploring the correlation between insect morphological characteristics and DNA fragment size via metabardocing. I am interested in outreach activities related to wildlife and exploring the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) as an alternative method for studying species compared to traditional approaches.
Halle Santiago (she/her)
Research technician
(Expected) B.S. 2024 – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Research Interests: My research interests include community ecology, human-wildlife interactions, wildlife diseases, conservation biology, and applications of eDNA. Leveraging my position with the Sperry lab, I hope to continue exploring the realm of conservation management and learning how to apply various biological techniques to my own research in the future. Currently completing my degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Science with a minor in Chemistry.
Teagan Wuethrich (she/her)
Research technician
(Expected) B.S. 2024 – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Research Interests:
Research interests:
My research interests include wildlife behavior, wildlife conservation, community ecology, and human-wildlife interactions. Working with Sperry Laboratory has sparked and enhanced my interest in learning about Environmental DNA (eDNA). The projects we address are related to the conservation of threatened and endangered species. I am currently completing my Natural Resource Environment Science degree with a concentration of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. My future intentions are going to online graduate school for Fish and Wildlife Administration.