Limnology Laboratory

John Downing - Professor

John Downing is a professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, and the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University. His research interests include limnology, aquatic ecology, terrestrial ecology, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, population conservation, and whole ecosystem restoration and management. John is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, an invited member of the North American Nitrogen Center, and has advised many policy-makers and citizens groups concerning water quality management. He received his BS from Hamline University (St. Paul, MN), his MS from NDSU (Fargo, ND) and his PhD from McGill University (Montreal, Canada). He was formerly a professor at McGill University and the University of Montreal where he was Director of the Laurentian Biological Station. He has been at ISU since 1995 and is the Director of the Iowa State University Limnology Laboratory and has surveyed water quality in Iowa’s lakes since 2000.

Kelly Poole – Assistant Scientist

Kelly Poole is a limnologist in the Limnology Laboratory at Iowa State University. Her research interests are in aquatic ecosystem restoration and management, landscape influences on water quality, and conservation of protected species. She received her BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and MS in Animal Ecology (Limnology) from Iowa State University. She has been monitoring streams, lakes and wetlands in Iowa since 1998. Prior to returning to Iowa State University, she spent six years as a Senior Environmental Specialist with the Water Resources Section of the Iowa Department of Transportation. She has been the manager of the Iowa State University Limnology Laboratory since 2007.
Email:kpoole@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-6363

Amber Erickson – Research Associate Chemistry Lab

Amber Erickson is an analytical chemist in the Iowa State University Limnology Laboratory. Her research interests include aquatic ecosystem restoration and conservation. Her specialties are instrumental and inorganic chemistry. She has two BS degrees from Iowa State University, one in Chemistry and a second in Agricultural Education. She has been with the ISU Limnology Laboratory since 2002, managing the Chemistry Laboratory since 2006.
Email:amber82@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-7373

Dan Kendall – Research Associate Biology Lab

Dan Kendall is a limnologist in the Limnology Laboratory at Iowa State University. His research interests are in aquatic biology and plankton ecology and his specialty is innovative strategies for monitoring aquatic ecosystems. He has a BS in Aquatic Biology from University of California (Santa Barbara). He has managed the Biology Laboratory for ISU Limnology Laboratory since 2003.
Email:dlk@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-2170

Jingyang Li – Systems Analyst

Jingyang Li is a systems analyst in the Limnology Laboratory at Iowa State University. He manages the Information Technology systems of the laboratory. He is responsible for research data flow and utilization, database quality control, and data reporting with internet technologies. He received his MS in Information Assurance and MBA from Iowa State University (Ames, IA). He has been working on Iowa water quality monitoring projects since 2003.
Email:jyli@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-9908

Adam Heathcote

Adam Heathcote is a graduate student in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University and a Research Assistant in the ISU Limnology Laboratory. He received a B.S. degree in Animal Ecology from ISU in 2005 and returned to work on his Ph. D. in 2007 under Dr. John A. Downing. His research interests include aquatic, restoration, and community ecology; paleolimnology; and computational statistics.
Email:aheathco@iastate.edu

Holly Meier

Holly Meier is a MS graduate student in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program and a Research Assistant in the ISU Limnology Laboratory. She received her BS degree from the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior in May 2008. Her research interests include biogeochemistry, anthropogenic changes to aquatic ecosystems, along with ecosystem restoration and natural population restoration.
Email:hmeier@iastate.edu

Michelle Balmer

Michelle Balmer is the first Carlander-Bachmann Intern with the ISULL. Her research interests include phytoplantion and zooplankton community ecology, aquatic ecosystem restoration and conservation, and biogeochemistry. Her independent research project for the internship is focused on summertime surface-water CO2 in Iowa lakes.
Email:mbbalmer@gmail.com