Areas of Expertise: Freshwater Mussels, Field Biology, Grant Professional, T & E Species Listing and Recovery
Stephanie learned her love of the outdoors wandering the fields and streams of central Kansas. Her father was a biologist, so her field biology career started young! Growing up she learned to collect small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fishes. While working on her undergraduate degree in Fisheries Biology at Kansas State University, she worked at the Konza Prairie Biological Station conducting forest litter studies and evaluating the use of bison wallows by amphibians.
Stephanie sampled fishes, aquatic insects, and freshwater mussels as a stream technician for Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks; conducted vegetation and freshwater mussel assessments for the Department of Defense; conducted statewide freshwater mussel surveys for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; conducted crayfish behavior studies; and served as the assistant editor for a scientific journal (The Prairie Naturalist).
In 2003, Stephanie moved to Tennessee (mostly due to the many freshwater mussel species in the state – approximately 137 species!) to work as a malacologist for the Tennessee Valley Authority, where she worked on the Natural Heritage database. She transitioned to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and worked as a listing and recovery biologist for ten years, where she partnered with other conservation organizations to protect aquatic species, including the Laurel Dace and Slabside Pearlymussel.
After years of hands-on conservation experience, she began looking for other opportunities to advance conservation of aquatic species and joined the Tennessee Aquarium as a grant professional and obtained her Grant Professional Certification. She is excited to manage conservation programs for the Aquarium and hopes her passion for freshwater mussels will inspire you to learn more about your local river or stream.
Favorite Freshwater Mussel: All of them!!
Hobbies: Teaching yoga and Pilates, paddling, hiking, reading, and learning new things.
Education:
M.S., 2002, Emporia State University (Biological Sciences)
B.S., 2000, Kansas State University (Fisheries Biology)