Joe Parkos
Since a very young age, I have relished outdoor experiences and been intensely curious about animal behavior. Having grown up in a lakeside house in a river town not far from the ocean, I also developed a deep and abiding affection for being in, on, and near water. I am drawn to the challenges and excitement of fisheries research, and in particular, I value that my work brings me into contact with people that share my passion for fish and the rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and oceans where fish live.
During my undergraduate education at the University of Connecticut, I acquired important formative experiences working for fisheries biologists at the CT Department of Environmental Protection, opening my eyes to the possibilities of a career in fisheries science. During my MS and PhD graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), I was fortunate to be a part of both the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation and the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). The great colleagues and diversity of science at the INHS in particular have been huge in my development as a scientist. My postdoctoral years at Florida International University (FIU) were spent conducting research in one of the coolest ecosystems in the world, the Florida Everglades! During my time at FIU, I developed scientific skills and friendships that continue to enrich both my research and my life. In the summer of 2017, I returned to the INHS to take on the Assistant Field Station Director role at the Kaskaskia Biological Station, and following the retirement of Dr. David Wahl in May 2018, I became the new Director of the Kaskaskia-Ridge Lake-Sam Parr research cluster of biological stations.
Research team
The research activities and accomplishments of our lab are not possible without the contributions of everyone on our team and our collaborators.
Kaskaskia Biological Station (KBS) personnel
Anthony Porreca (Assistant Director; Postdoc)
Steve Butler (Biologist; Asian carp field and lab operations)
Dakota Radford (Biologist; KBS field and lab operations)
David Yff (Biologist; KBS field and lab operations)
Angela Miller (Administrative Assistant)
Mallory Coleman (Research Technician)
Liza Toll (Research Technician)
Mat Baird (Research Technician)
Sophia Holupka (Research Technician)
Madison Fernandez (Research Technician)
Rylee Cook (Research Technician)
Megan Thomas (Research Technician)
Laurel Swenson-Hultz (Research Technician)
Sam Parr Biological Station personnel
Mike Nannini (Assistant Director)
Joshua Turner (Research Technician)
Chloe McGee (Research Technician)
Graduate students
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Kat Conatser (MS student)
Abby Rick (MS student)
Collaborators
Rob Colombo (Eastern Illinois University)
Eden Effert-Fanta (Eastern Illinois University)
Dave Coulter (South Dakota State University)
Jim Garvey (Southern Illinois University-Carbondale)
Greg Sass (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)
Joel Trexler (Florida State University)
Jeff Kline (Everglades National Park)
Mike Mounce (Illinois Department of Natural Resources)
Mike Garthaus (Illinois Department of Natural Resources)
Lee Mitchell (US Army Corps of Engineers)
Jon Summers (US Army Corps of Engineers)
Dan Grigas (DuPage County Forest Preserve District)
Steve Silic (Cook County Forest Preserve District)
Jeremy Tiemann [Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS)]
Jim Lamer (Illinois River Biological Station; INHS)
Kris Maxson (Illinois River Biological Station; INHS)
Mark Davis (Collaborative Conservation Genetics Lab; INHS)
Nick Iacaruso (Collaborative Conservation Genetics Lab; INHS)
John Scott (IL Sustainable Technology Center)
Dave Soucek (USGS)
Jess LeRoy (USGS Central Midwest Water Science Center)
P. Ryan Jackson (USGS Central Midwest Water Science Center)
Lab alumni
Deanne Rothermal (Administrative Assistant; retired)
Kyle Broadway (Biologist; now WI DNR)
Guy Schmidt (Research Technician; now WA Dept. Fish and Wildlife)
Carly Fenstermacher (MS student; now WV Div. Natural Resources)
Tommy Hill (MS student; now WI DNR)
Rafael Davila (MS student; now INHS)
William Fick (MS student; now Utah Dept. Natural Resources)
Jeremy Facer (MS student; now Coquille Watershed Assoc.)
Eric Gates (MS student; now AR Game and Fish Commission)
Tyler Grabowski (MS student; now PA Fish and Boat Commission)
Scott Collins (Postdoc; now Associate Prof. Texas Tech)
Tommy Detmer (Postdoc; now Asst. Prof. IA State Univ.)
Amber Schmidt (Research Technician; now Lake MI Biological Station)
Nathan Shivers (Research Technician)
Nathan Dorn (Research Technician)
Sean Harris (Research Technician)
Cooper Barshinger (Research Technician; now UAPB M.S. program)
Hayden Roberts (Research Technician; now TX A&M M.S. program)
Dustin Olinger (Research Technician; now Airforce Academy)
Dalton Allen (Intern; now TCU M.S. program)
Dave Wahl (Director Emeritus; now fishing and hunting whenever he wants)