Current Members
Jessica Corman, Principle Investigator
Jessica is an Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resources (SNR) and a Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute Faculty Fellow. Prior to joining UNL, Jessica was a post doctoral fellow at the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with Emily Stanley. She received her PhD from Arizona State University under the mentorship of James Elser. Before embarking on her graduate studies, Jessica delved into the world of science policy at the National Science Foundation, working with the Ecosystem Science and LTER programs and on the Interagency Working Group for Scientific Collections. Her passion for science began at Cornell University, where she was an undergraduate researcher with Alex Flecker and Laurie Drinkwater. Jessica also enjoys hiking, biking, and photography. Download her CV here. |
Elise Ehlers, Research Technician
Elise graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December of 2021 after earning her B.S. in Biochemistry with minors in Water Science, Chemistry, and Psychology. She is interested in the relationship between nutrient availability in freshwater lakes and phytoplankton metabolism. Elise is involved with the STOICH project, as well, leading efforts to review literature for relevant data to include. Elise plans to begin her master’s program in Fall of 2023. In her free time she enjoys exercising, reading, hiking, kayaking, and volunteering at the local animal shelter. |
Anni Poetzl, MS student, 2020 -
Anni grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where her father influenced her love for the natural world by taking her on camping, hiking, and hunting trips when she was young. Anni attended Arizona State University for her bachelor’s in Biological Sciences (Conservation Biology and Ecology) and English (Literature). She is currently working on her master’s project regarding water quality and human dimensions. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and playing with her cat. |
Daniel Gschwentner, PhD student, 2020 -
Daniel is researching the impact of diverse environmental changes on lake functioning and freshwater ecological communities. In order to reconstruct environmental histories and trajectories of lake functioning, Daniel relies on the study of lake sediment records. He is also interested in GIS, remote sensing, and statistics. |
Uchechukwu Ogbenna, PhD student, 2021 -
Uche has a Bachelor’s and Master's degree in Environmental Technology (Geoenvironmental Technology option) from the Federal University of Owerri, Nigeria. Currently, he is a PhD student in the Ecological Stoichiometry lab specializing in Applied Ecology in the School of Natural Resources. He is interested in understanding how freshwater ecosystems respond to human-induced changes and is a member of the STOICH projects. He enjoys listening to different genres of music when free. |
Reilly Farrell, MS student, 2021 -
Reilly is a master's student interested in the factors controlling carbon breakdown in streams as part of the StreamNet and STOICH projects. Through his graduate degree, he hopes to learn how ecological research can demonstrate principles that allow for better preservation and rejuvenation of ecosystem services. As a transplanted Georgian, he is also interested in learning more about the Great Plains region, both ecologically and socially. Reilly loves cooking, biking, and just sitting around being a vegetable sometimes. |