American Fisheries Society
Student Subunit at UIUC
About Us
We are a group of undergraduate and graduate students that are passionate about fisheries, the environment, outreach, and education. We are affiliated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an RSO and the American Fisheries Society as a student subunit. We seek to promote fisheries science and conservation on campus, engage with the public through outreach events, and increase our own knowledge and skills through field sampling workshops. If you are interested in becoming involved with our group, join us at our next meeting!
Events Coming Up
First Meeting of the Semester!
We've had our first happy hour and now it's time for our first official RSO meeting of 2022-23!Â
Come along to meet your fellow fisheries professionals, vote in the 2022-23 elections, and pitch your ideas for outreach. We're looking forward to a busy year.
Happy Hour!
AFS is back and hosting regular happy hour events! Come join us to socialize, meet new folks, and talk all things aquatic! Sign up to our mailing list to stay in the loop on locations.
Subunit News
Successful Outreach at Homer Lake
The AFS subunit was able to set up some outreach booths at the Free Fishing Day at Homer Lake Forest Preserve. We had the macroinvertebrate identification station, the angler fish craft party, and some tanks to show off the best catches of the day!
AFS ramps up fall outreach events!
The subunit has been busy this semester! We have been able to participate in several outreach projects, including the Douglas County Environmental Stewardship Day, Sangamon River Clean Up, clipping smallmouths at Jake Wolf Hatchery, and the Homer Lake Middle School Outreach!
AFS kicks off fall 2018 semester!
The 2018-2019 officers have been busy preparing for the upcoming year, and we spent some time with ACES undergrads talking about the subunit at the ACES Fall Festival! Thanks to everybody who signed up!
Busy April for AFS!
The subunit had a very busy April! In addition to our monthly meeting, we had a IL minnow identification class (and friendly competition) with the help of INHS. We also participated in the Boneyard Cleanup Day in early April by picking up trash from around the creek. Finally, members of the subunit got to meet with Dan Stephenson, the chief of fisheries for IL.
State AFS Meeting
The UIUC student subunit was well-represented at the Illinois AFS Meeting in Grafton in February! We contributed a subunit record to the raffle and several of our members gave riveting presentations. Congratulations to Toniann Keiling, Sarah Molinaro, and Emi Tucker on winning the Larimore Student Research Award!
Officers
2025
Shasta Kamara
President
PhD Student
Shasta Kamara is a PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on differences in Paddlefish across their wide latitudinal range and aims to inform the conservation and management of the species. To do this, she has combined laboratory and field studies to provide insight into the influence of thermal variation on Paddlefish stress response, post-release behavior, life history traits, and performance. Warming environments may pose a threat to Paddlefish recovery after enduring capture stressors, and alter their long-term adaptive capacity.
Nicholas Iacaruso
Vice President
PhD Candidate
Nick is a Ph.D. student with the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Department and the Illinois Natural History Survey. His research focuses on how the use of genetic tools, like environmental DNA (eDNA), can improve management of invasive species. Nick's research has led him all over the Midwest including Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Outside of work he enjoys to spend his time hiking, rock climbing, cooking, and going out for trivia with his friends.
Moshe Piltz
Secretary
Masters Student
Moshe Piltz is a master's student at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomy, systematics, and conservation, with an emphasis on Trichoptera. He enjoys spending time in the streams kicking riffles and looking for rare critters.
Abigail rick
Treasurer
Masters Student
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I'm studying the ecological impact of reconnecting Wolf Lake and Powderhorn Lake, a project near Chicago aimed at restoring aquatic ecosystems. My research focuses on understanding how environmental conditions influence fish movement between these two lakes, offering valuable insights into habitat connectivity. Additionally, I'm investigating the newly constructed stream connecting the lakes, analyzing its community composition and the environmental factors shaping it. Through this work, I aim to contribute to the broader understanding of ecological restoration and inform future conservation efforts.
Kaiden Vinavich
Outreach Chair and Social Media Coordinator
Masters Student
In the spring of 2023, I graduated with a B.S. in biological sciences from Northern Illinois University. I had a quick turnaround after graduating from NIU to working as a fisheries technician at the Illinois River Biological Station in Havana, Illinois. This program, through the University of Illinois’ Natural History Survey, allowed me the opportunity for a graduate position for a master's degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. My research focuses on the pictured invasive fish, silver carp, and how factors, such as commercial harvest, are driving growth, and how how density-dependent growth may act as a surrogate for relative abundance throughout the Mississippi River Basin.
Adam transue
Director of Membership
Undergraduate Student
Adam Transue is a senior studying Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Fish and Wildlife Conservation Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is currently involved in research projects related to the environmental social science, minnow morphology, and reef fish assemblages in Belize. His primary focus has been on understanding the psychological drivers of recreational anglers and the factors that contribute to one's intentions to participate in fishing. He is also currently engaged in a recreational use assessment of the South Branch of the Chicago River and the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal. He hopes to pursue further research in the marine ecology space after finishing his undergraduate degree.
"To improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals."
Mission Statement
