Nicole Morris , President

School: University of West Florida

Email: nmm7@students.uwf.edu

I was born in Fort Riley, Kansas, but I grew up in the small town of Daleville, Alabama. I received a Bachelor of Science from Jacksonville State University in 2003. I am currently a Master's student in the Department of Biology at the University of West Florida under the direction of Dr. Will Patterson. My thesis research involves identifying community structure and trophic dynamics of fishes associated with large artificial reefs located in outer continental shelf, upper slope, and abyssal environments in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Matt Catalano , President Elect

School: University of Florida

Email: catalm@ufl.edu

I was born and raised in the Lake Erie port city of Lorain, Ohio.  I attended Miami University (OH) for my undergraduate and received a B.S. in zoology.  After working as a fisheries technician with the Illinois Natural History Survey for a couple of years, I got my M.S. in fisheries at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where I studied the effects of dam removal on fish communities.  At present, I’m working toward my PhD in fisheries with Mike Allen at the University of Florida.  I’m investigating compensatory responses of fish populations, namely gizzard shad, following size-selective harvest.  On my free time I love to fish, play mandolin, and travel.

Jennie Sandburg, Secretary/Treasurer

School: University of West Florida

Email: jss18@students.uwf.edu

I received a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University- Galveston in Marine Biology. Whoop!  (It is an Aggie thing) I am currently a Master’s student at the University of West Florida under Dr. Wayne Bennett. My project explores aerial and aquatic respiratory capabilities between and within two Periopthalmid mudskipper species (Periophthalmus kalolo and Periophthalmus argentilineatus) as a possible basis for habitat partitioning as well as ontogenetic shifts in respiratory capabilities within one species of mudskipper (Periophthalmus kalolo) from a mangrove in Hoga Island, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.  

Mark Rogers, Past President

School: University of Florida

Email: mrojers@ufl.edu

I grew up in North Carolina and attended N.C. State University for my Bachelor's degree where I had the opportunity to work on reservoir research in Dr. Richard Noble's lab. Since then, I have been fortunate to work in rivers at Virginia Tech, teach high school, work on walleyes while getting a Master's Degree at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, and finally end up working with Dr. Mike Allen at the University of Florida. Since arriving in Florida, I have worked on a minimum flows and level project and I am now working on my dissertation evaluating the interdependent processes that affect age-0 largemouth bass survival across Florida's latitudinal gradient.

Mike Allen, Faculty Advisor

School: University of Florida

Email: msal@ufl.edu

I am a fisheries biologist whose research program investigates the population dynamics and ecology of freshwater fishes. I use population modeling techniques combined with field sampling to address important fisheries issues in Florida and elsewhere. My research interests include assessment of critical habitat, the impacts of fishing on populations, and life history aspects of freshwater fishes.

Wayne Bennett, Faculty Advisor

School: University of West Florida

Email: wbennett@uwf.edu

I am an Associate Professor of Vertebrate Physiology at the University of West Florida. I have been with the University since 1997 in one capacity or another.  In that time, I have developed or taught all 12 classes that focus on or are related to physiology.  I have an active research laboratory, and typically have between 6 and 12 graduate students working with me. My primary area of specialty is the study of physiological ecology which focuses on animal adaptations to environmental variables.  My research areas include tolerance adaptation (mostly temperature, salinity, oxygen and pressure), bio-energetics, toxicology, ion-osmoregulation, and reproductive biology.  I have worked with a diverse group of animals including cetaceans, sea turtles, cephalopods and crustaceans, but my main (and favorite) emphasis is on fishes.  Recently, we have been working extensively with the batoid elasmobranchs in my laboratory.