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THE JONES LAB
Annis Water Resource Institute - Grand Valley State University
STUART JONES, PHD
principal investigator
Stuart is Executive Director of the Annis Water Resources Institute and an aquatic ecologist. His ideal research project leverages information across scales to advance our theoretical understanding of aquatic ecosystems and their watersheds while also providing management-relevant information or predictions. Stuart’s primary goal is to facilitate the research and careers of others and to have fun while doing so. He is happiest building simple mathematical models or at the hockey rink with his family.
DANIEL GSCHWENTNER, PHD
Research Scientist
THE LAB
meet
BENNETT MCAFEE, MS
Data Scientist
EMMA CAMPBELL
Research Technician
Daniel Gschwentner is a research scientist and limnologist in the Jones Lab. Daniel uses ecosystem modelling, experimentation and observational data to ask questions about how lakes change throughout time and space, and how nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus influence water quality and lake primary production. Daniel received his PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he worked on lake water quality and lake ice dynamics in the Nebraska Sandhills.
At the intersection of limnology and technology, you’ll find Bennett: a data scientist with experience in ecosystem modeling, synthesis of open data, and knowledge-guided machine learning. Bennett is here to support AWRI with computation-heavy projects, software development, and data management. He can typically be found either running code or out for a run.
Emma is a research technician and lab manager for the Jones Lab who spends her time flitting between multiple different research, admin, and community outreach projects. Her previous research has primarily focused on freshwater thermal dynamics and phytoplankton, but she has also dabbled in botany, wildlife ecology, and fish ecology.
MAX LARSON
Graduate Student
Max is a graduate student in the Jones Lab, with primary research interests in fish and fisheries. His work combines field sampling, laboratory analysis, and sample processing to investigate questions about fish behavior, hybridization, and interactions within freshwater ecosystems.
Zoe Gondeck
Undergraduate Student
Zoe is an undergraduate Biology student at Grand Valley State University, also minoring in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Before joining the team, she worked on molecular ecology research focused on using genetics to aid in conservation. As a laboratory technician for the Jones Lab, Zoe contributes to day-to-day lab operations and enjoys being part of projects that connect science, sustainability, and real-world impact.
Interested in joining the team?
We are currently recruiting graduate and undergraduate students to join us in summer/fall 2026! If you're interested in joining, reach out to Stuart at jonesstu@gvsu.edu
Graduate students are often funded from AWRI Graduate Research Assistantships or through grant funding. Graduate students at AWRI are pursuing a Master of Science in Biology with an emphasis in aquatic sciences. Graduate assistantships include a 12-month stipend and a tuition stipend that is eligible for annual renewal.
We are also always open to discuss employment opportunities with undergraduates interested in our research! Please feel free to reach out, and see the following links for more information.
Jones Lab Alumni
School | Name | Role | Years | Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GVSU | Jailyn Jacob | Undergraduate Researcher | 2025 | |
UND | Randi Notte | Research Technician | ||
UND | Stephen Jane | Postdoc | ||
UND | Brian Ankrapp | Undergraduate Researcher | 2025 | Largemouth bass diet |
UND | Avi Neumann | Undergraduate Researcher | 2025 | Bluegill life history |
UND | Matthew Woo | Ph.D. | 2024 - present | Fish growth and life history traits |
UND | Greyson Wolf | M.S. | 2022-2024 | Life history and recreational fisheries |
UND | Brittni Bertolet | Ph.D. | 2016-2021 | Methanogen community ecology and methane cycling |
UND | Colin Dassow | Ph.D. | 2016-2021 | Recreational fisheries and catch-and-release practices |
UND | Carly Olson | Ph.D. | 2016-2022 | Regulators of lake productivity and ecosytem stoichiometry |
UND | Ceara Talbot | Ph.D. | Landscape carbon biogeochemistry | |
UND | Amaryllis Adey | Ph.D. | Regulators of lake consumer productivity | |
UND | Camille Mosley | Ph.D. | 2019-2024 | Recreational fisheries |
UND | Gilberto Cerda | Undergraduate Researcher | 2023 | Largemouth bass diet |
UND | Frankie Gonzalez | Undergraduate Researcher | 2023 | Recreational Fisheries |
UND | Riri Wikara | Undergraduate Researcher | 2023 | Largemouth bass diet |
UND | Stacey Vogel | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022 | Recreational Fisheries |
UND | Jack Stecker | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022 | Recreational Fisheries |
UND | Ben Orchekowski | Undergraduate Researcher | 2022 | Recreational Fisheries |
UND | Taylor Parker | Undergraduate Researcher | 2021-2022 | Recreational Fisheries |
UND | Beth Hoots | Undergraduate Researcher/Research Technican | 2021-2022 | Recreational Fisheries |
UND | Ana Lopez | Undergraduate Researcher | 2019-2020 | Fishscapes |
UND | Gaby Marines-Chio | Undergraduate Researcher | 2019 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Katie Conese | Undergraduate Researcher | UNDERC monitoring | |
UND | Sydney Louden | Undergraduate Researcher | 2019-2020 | Methane |
UND | Noah Gonring | Undergraduate Researcher | Long Lake terrestrial carbon experiment | |
UND | Katherine Franz | Undergraduate Researcher | UNDERC monitoring | |
UND | Jack Boyle | Undergraduate Researcher | Long Lake terrestrial carbon experiment | |
UND | Hildamarie Caceres Velazquez | M.S. | 2012-2019 | Bacterial Traits |
UND | Carmella Vizza | Ph.D. | 2012 - 2018 | Arctic wetland biogeochemistry |
UND | Jake Zwart | Ph.D. | 2012 - 2017 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Patrick Kelly | Ph.D. | 2011 - 2015 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Will West | Ph.D. | 2010 - 2015 | Methane |
UND | Dan Liu | M.S. | 2011 - 2013 | Bacterial ecogenomics |
UND | Joshua Livermore | Postdoc | 2012 - 2014 | Bacterial ecogenomics |
UND | Dave Armitage | Postdoc | 2017 - 2019 | Species interactions and coexistence |
UND | Katie Saunders | Senior Research Technician | 2017 - 2019 | Everything |
UND | Jim Coloso | Senior Research Technician | 2010 - 2014 | Everything |
UND | Matt Farragher | Research Technician | 2018 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Francie Fink | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017 - 2020 | UNDERC monitoring/Recreational fisheries |
UND | Mary Solokas | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018 - 2020 | Recreational fisheries |
UND | Danny Szydlowski | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017 - 2020 | UNDERC monitoring/Recreational fisheries |
UND | Faith Taylor | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018 - 2020 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | John Caffarelli | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017 - 2020 | Recreational fisheries |
UND | John Hlavin | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018 - 2019 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Matt Millado | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018 - 2019 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Henri Chung | Undergraduate Researcher | 2016 - 2019 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Joey Aulino | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018 | Recreational fisheries |
UND | Nate Heili | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018 | Methane |
UND | Mary Commins | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018 - 2019 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Jacquie Whalen | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017 - 2019 | Recreational fisheries |
UND | Theresa Kim | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017 - 2018 | Bacteria-phage interactions |
UND | Josie Martinez | Undergraduate Researcher | 2018 | Methane |
UND | Kelson Pike | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015-2017 | Bacterial Traits |
UND | Michael O'Rear | Undergraduate Researcher | 2017 | Terrestrial Carbon |
UND | David Brown | Undergraduate Researcher | 2016 - 2017 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Courtney Weston | Undergraduate Researcher | 2016 - 2017 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Rachael Walsh | Undergraduate Researcher | 2016 - 2017 | Bacterial Traits |
UND | Ellen Mather | Undergraduate Researcher | 2014 - 2017 | Terrestrial carbon, UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Joey Vanderwall | Undergraduate Researcher | 2014 - 2017 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Mariel Cuellar | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015 - 2017 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Brandon Sura | Undergraduate Researcher | 2014 - 2017 | Bacterial Traits |
UND | Katie Georgi | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015 - 2016 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Matthew Grothaus | Undergraduate Researcher | 2014 - 2016 | Bacterial traits |
UND | Liz Wildenhain | Undergraduate Researcher | 2015 - 2016 | Early warning signs of regime shifts |
UND | Katy Dawson | Undergraduate Researcher | 2014 - 2016 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Anna Poteraj | Undergraduate Researcher | 2014 - 2016 | Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Elyssa Schwendy | Undergraduate Researcher | 2013 - 2015 | Methane |
UND | C.J. Humes | Undergraduate Researcher | 2014 - 2015 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Stephen Elser | Undergraduate Researcher/Research Technican | 2012 - 2014 | Terrestrial carbon, UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Jessica Schaefer | Research Technician | 2014 - 2015 | Terrestrial carbon, limnology |
UND | Shayna McCarthy | Undergraduate Researcher/Research Technican | 2013 - 2015 | Methane, UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Robert Read | Undergraduate Researcher | 2013 - 2015 | Bacterial traits |
UND | Brian Connor | Undergraduate Researcher | 2013 - 2015 | Terrestrial carbon, Ionic liquids |
UND | Kayla McReynolds | Undergraduate Researcher | 2013 - 2015 | Terrestrial carbon, limnology |
UND | Elizabeth Golebie | Undergraduate Researcher | 2013 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Michael Kipp | Undergraduate Researcher | 2013 - 2014 | Methane |
UND | Trixie Amorado | Undergraduate Researcher | 2012 - 2014 | Bacterial traits, Ionic liquids |
UND | Ali Searle | Undergraduate Researcher | 2012 - 2014 | Terrestrial carbon, zooplankton |
UND | Lisa Raaf | Undergraduate Researcher | 2013 | UNDERC monitoring |
UND | Joey Kim | Undergraduate Researcher | 2012 - 2013 | Methane |
UND | Nick Williams | Undergraduate Researcher | 2013 | Ionic liquids |
UND | Kevin Creamer | Undergraduate Researcher | 2011 - 2013 | Methane, Terrestrial carbon |
UND | Rachel Pilla | Undergraduate Researcher | 2011 - 2013 | Terrestrial carbon, limnology |
UND | Katie Baglini | Undergraduate Researcher | 2011 - 2013 | Terrestrial carbon, zooplankton |
UND | Isaac Evans | Undergraduate Researcher | 2012 | Terrestrial carbon, zooplankton |
UND | John Clifford | Undergraduate Researcher | 2011 - 2012 | Ionic liquids |
UND | Katie Piepr | Undergraduate Researcher | 2011 - 2012 | Bacterial ecogenomics |
UND | Linnea Fechtner | Undergraduate Researcher | 2011 - 2012 | Molecular characterization of plankton diets |
UND | Jessica Choi | Undergraduate Researcher | 2010 - 2012 | Methane oxidation |
UND | Ashley Baca | Undergraduate Researcher | 2011 | Terrestrial carbon, zooplankton |
UND | Beth Cotter | Undergraduate Researcher | 2011 | Methane |
UND | Lauren Garatoni | High School Student | 2011 | Methane |
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