Invasive Species Symposium

Chris Evans is a Forestry Extension and Research Specialist. He is based at the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center in southern Illinois.

Kevin Rohling earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geography from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, specializing in Biogeography and GIS. He has worked in natural resource conservation since 2004, including previous work experience with the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area, Natural Land Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Great Basin Institute, Illinois EPA, Great Rivers Land Trust, and National Park Service.

Jeffrey W. Matthews is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He conducts research on plant communities in natural and restored ecosystems to understand drivers of change and apply that understanding to challenges in plant conservation and restoration. 

Information about the Matthews Lab

Steven Butler is an associate research scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. He received his B.S. in Fish and Wildlife Biology from Kansas State University and his M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from University of Illinois. Steve's research interests revolve around the ecology of lotic systems, particularly relating to the conservation and management of fish assemblages in flowing waters. He has worked on the Illinois Waterway for the past 15 years, studying the early life history and ecological impacts of invasive carp in this system.

Teresa L. Steckler began her extension career in 2008 as a beef cow/calf beef specialist for University of Illinois. She has an M.S. and Ph.D in reproductive biology from University of Illinois and completed a postdoctoral program with an emphasis in embryonic/fetal programming
and infertility in livestock at University of Michigan. She provides programs across Illinois that include herd health management, forage and pasture management, and reproductive management. Her research program has studied the prevalence, economic impact, and management of bovine anaplasmosis. 

Current research interests include: 

• Understanding the relationship between tick-borne diseases impacting humans, particularly agricultural workers, and livestock such as cattle and small ruminants, and the types of plants found in their shared environment, invasive plant species.
• The One Health paradigm as it relates to the interdependence among the health and well-being of people, animals, and our environment. 

Philip Anderson is an associate professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior who studies evolutionary biomechanics across a range of organisms, including vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. He uses a combination of experimental and theoretical analyses to address how fundamental laws of physics influence evolutionary processes. Current focuses in his lab include the mechanics and evolution of biological puncture/injection systems and the evolution of multi-part biomechanical systems. When not performing research or teaching anatomy and biomechanics, he spends his free time playing a range of characters in Dungeons and Dragons and other TTRPGs, a hobby which he is now leveraging to get a broader public audience interested in science.

More about the Anderson Evolutionary Biomechanics Lab

Sam Pirruccello is a Resource Specialist at the Forest Preserves of Cook County, overseeing contracted ecological restoration and forestry work. He utilizes GIS tools to organize project data, create maps and work orders, and support field data collection. Additional responsibilities include maintaining the district’s tree inventory data and teaching employee education classes for FPCC staff and partner organizations. Throughout his 11+ years of experience in ecological restoration, he has previously worked for a private contractor, Greencorps Chicago, and the Chicago Park District. He holds an M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.