The Alumni of Forbes Biological Station have carried their passion for wetland and waterfowl research into impactful careers across the country. This page highlights the achievements and graduate research of former students and staff, whose work at Forbes has shaped conservation science, wildlife management, and ecological understanding in Illinois and beyond. Explore the projects and publications that began here and see how our alumni continue to advance wetland and wildlife research.
Chad Cremer, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2024. “Understanding the Spring Migration Ecology of Sora and Virginia Rail in Central Illinois: A study Utilizing Automated Telemetry.”
Jessica Schmit, M.S., University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 2024. “Movement and Breeding Ecology of King Rails (Rallus elegans) in Southeastern Arkansas.”
Eleonora (Nora) Hargett, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2024. “Habitat Associations and Abundance of Eastern Black Rails (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) In Southeastern Colorado.”
Stephanie Schmidt, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2022. “Using marsh bird nest survival and post-fledging habitat use and survival to inform wetland management.”
Ryan Askren, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2021. “Movement Ecology and Habitat Use of Canada Geese Using Major Metropolitan Areas in the Context of Human Wildlife Conflicts.”
Cheyenne Beach, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2021. “Evaluation of Selected Physiological Responses to Sub-Lethal Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema spp. Experimental Infections in Captive Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis).”
This thesis is only available on ProQuest. To obtain a copy, contact your local library’s interlibrary loan department or ProQuest’s Dissertation Express service.
Lauren Larson, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2021. “Dynamics of Habitat Resource Availability for Lesser Scaup at Pools 13 and 19 of the Mississippi River.”
This thesis is only available on ProQuest. To obtain a copy, contact your local library’s interlibrary loan department or ProQuest’s Dissertation Express service.
Luke Malanchuk, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2020. “Estimating occupancy and abundance of shorebirds through aerial surveys in the Illinois River Valley.”
Sam Klimas, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2019. “Foraging Ecology of Ducks and Shorebirds in the Midwest.”
Abigail Blake-Bradshaw, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2018. “Wetland suitability for waterbirds in Illinois.”
Andrew Bouton, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2018. “Using a plasma lipid metabolite index to evaluate spring migration stopover habitat for wild canvasbacks (Aythya vallisineria) in Illinois.”
Therin Bradshaw, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2018. “Marsh Bird Use of Wetlands Managed for Waterfowl in Illinois.”
This thesis is only available on ProQuest. To obtain a copy, contact your local library’s interlibrary loan department or ProQuest’s Dissertation Express service.
Andrew Gilbert, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2018. “Visibility Bias and Disturbance of Waterbirds During Aerial Surveys in the Nonbreeding Season.”
This thesis is only available on ProQuest. To obtain a copy, contact your local library’s interlibrary loan department or ProQuest’s Dissertation Express service.
Maggie Gross, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2018. “True Metabolizable Energy and Energetic Carrying Capacity of Submersed Aquatic Vegetation in Semi-Permanent Marshes of the Upper Midwest.”
This thesis is only available on ProQuest. To obtain a copy, contact your local library’s interlibrary loan department or ProQuest’s Dissertation Express service.
Eric Smith, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2018. “Evaluating a plasma-lipid metabolite index and intrinsic sources of variation using short-term captive lesser scaup (Aythya affinis).”
Ben Williams, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2018. “Stopover duration and habitat use of spring-migrating dabbling ducks in the Wabash River Valley, USA.”
Sarah McClain, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2017. “True Metabolizable Energy of Submersed Aquatic Vegetation and Implications for Wetland Conservation Planning.”
This thesis is only available on ProQuest. To obtain a copy, contact your local library’s interlibrary loan department or ProQuest’s Dissertation Express service.
Brett Dorak, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2016. “Ecology of wintering Canada geese in the greater Chicago metropolitan area.”
Conner England, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2016. “Intestinal helminth infections, distributions, and associations with health parameters of spring-migrating female Lesser Scaup in the upper Midwest.”
Kristen Finch, M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2016. “Grassland and breeding bird use of moist-soil wetlands managed for waterfowl.”
Jay Vonbank, M.S., Western Illinois University, 2015. “An assessment of aquatic invasive plants in the Illinois River: Water hyacinth surveillance, mapping, persistence, and potential seed dispersal.”
This thesis is only available on ProQuest. To obtain a copy, contact your local library’s interlibrary loan department or ProQuest’s Dissertation Express service.
Benjamin O’Neal, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2010. “Ecology of fall-migrating ducks in central Illinois: a radar perspective.”
Adam Phillips, M.S., Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2010. “Mute swan impacts on native waterbirds and submerged aquatic vegetation in Illinois.” [Note: This thesis is only available on OpenSIUC. To obtain a copy, contact your local library’s interlibrary loan department or ProQuest’s Dissertation Express service.]