Click here for the 2024-2025 Excomm Nomination Bios!
President-Elect
Logan Zebro
My name is Logan Zebro, and I was nominated serve as President-elect for the Student and Early Career Professional Subsection Representative (SECP) of the Education Section. I am a first-year Ph.D. student at South Dakota State University in Dr. Alison Coulter’s lab. My dissertation work is using acoustic telemetry data to inform management of invasive and sportfish species in Midwest lotic systems. I received my B.S. from South Dakota State University in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and M.S. in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Each summer during my undergraduate education I worked as a fisheries technician for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Three of those years were spent at the Northern Highland Fishery Research Area where I was able to get experience and earn a great appreciation for the research side of fisheries science. I am currently a member of AFS, SECP, North Central Division (NCD), and the NCD Walleye Technical Committee. Looking back, I wish I had been more active in AFS as an undergraduate student. I attended my first chapter meeting (virtually unfortunately) towards the end of my undergraduate education. Even though that meeting was virtual due to COVID I was still able to get a sense of what a great organization AFS is and the benefits, relationships, and learning opportunities that can arise from being involved in AFS. Therefore, one of my goals as a graduate student was to become more involved in AFS to increase my fisheries science skills and to interact and create relationships with other students and professionals. If I were elected as the President-elect of the SECP I would continue to expand on the great work carried out by previous individuals. The SECP serves as a great avenue to mediate between the parent society of AFS and our many student subunits. I strive to make AFS subunits more aware of the goings on in AFS, promote education and professional development opportunities, and to promote the great opportunities that ultimately come with being involved in AFS. I would certainly enjoy this opportunity to continue my involvement in AFS and to help students and early career professionals that are seeking resources to excel in this career field.
Secretary-Treasurer
Lauren Yancy
Hi, my name is Lauren Yancy and I’d like to nominate myself to serve as the Secretary-Treasurer. I’ve been involved in AFS since 2018, serving as the President of the Texas A&M University Student Subunit for two years before graduating in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries Sciences. I have since served on the AFS Hutton Committee and have been involved with the SECP as Western Division Representative in 2022, and the webmaster and outreach & communications committee chair since 2023. I’ve attended state and national AFS conferences where I presented undergraduate research, volunteered behind the scenes, and visited with students from all over sharing experiences. I’m currently a habitat biologist at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and am starting my master’s in Fisheries at the University Alaska Fairbanks. As much as I am passionate about working in a natural resources career, I am just as passionate about sparking interest in others and assisting students in navigating the field of fisheries. I look forward to serving as the Secretary-Treasurer, ensuring organization and communication within the SECP is top-notch.
Canadian Division Representative
Hallie Arno
My name is Hallie Arno, and I am interested in serving as the Canadian division representative at SECP. I am an MSc. Marine Biology student at Memorial University in the beautiful province of Newfoundland. My thesis focuses on Atlantic salmon and how wild populations respond to hybridization with aquaculture. I’m currently focusing on population genomics and understanding how hybridization impacts climate resilience. I am a collaborator with Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, with the goal of informing policy around Atlantic salmon aquaculture and conservation.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in Maine, an interdisciplinary program focused on studying the interactions between humans and the environment. During my undergraduate degree, I studied a broad range of topics related to conservation biology, natural resource policy, and ecological science. My interests in both natural and social science resulted in my senior thesis which investigated the social aspect of a proposed dam removal in a local community. I had the opportunity to present this work at a regional AFS meeting in 2023 focused on diadromous fish, where I saw how much amazing research is being done to better understand and conserve these species. This excitement led me to my master’s degree at Memorial.
After graduating from College of the Atlantic, I was a Scientists in Parks Fellow at the National Park Service. Here, I focused on data visualization and science communication by building a data dashboard to view regional water quality data. This experience allowed me to dive into topics like accessibility, the importance of communicating research, and how to engage different stakeholders.
I am excited for an opportunity to be more involved in AFS, connect with other students/ early career professionals, and help create a more inclusive environment in fisheries biology. Thank you for your consideration!
Christian Bihun
Hi everyone, my name is Christian Bihun, and I am currently a PhD candidate at Trent University studying the bioenergetics of walleye in the Great Lakes. I am nominating myself for the Canadian Division Representative position with the Student and Early Career Professionals subsection of AFS because I would like to support my peers in fisheries! I have been participating in the fisheries community for many years now, as an academic, as an angler in my local community, and through social media. I think I am well-tuned to the fisheries job market in Canada, and to the challenges of being a student in today’s economy. My goals in this position would be to increase awareness of the opportunities that are available (scholarships, professional development, employment, etc.,), and foster the connection with our neighbors to the south (as someone who is studying the Great Lakes, I can appreciate how important this is!). I recently joined the Trent University Grad Student Association and have been actively learning about how societies function, such as by-laws and Robert’s Rules of Order. I would be thrilled at the opportunity to continue my learning with the SECP subsection and to represent my fellow students and ECP’s in Canada. In my spare time you can find me paddling my canoe around Peterborough. Thanks for your consideration!
Northeast Division Representative
Heath Cook
Heath is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. He received a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from the University of Sydney, Australia (2005). He worked for ten years at the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts as a biologist in the bottom trawl program, serving frequently as chief scientist aboard their biannual Bottom Trawl Survey. With over 1000 days at sea aboard multiple different research cruises spanning the Northwest Atlantic Ocean shelf, the Gulf of Mexico, and deepwater seamounts, he is a firm believer in the value of field research and training the next generation of field biologists. In his current role at Cornell, he enjoys teaching undergraduates in courses in marine biology and fisheries. His research interests focus on the systematics and ecology of fishes of the coast. Further, he is working in marine biomonitoring and developing methods to overcome the ever-present difficulties in sampling biodiversity on the continental shelf, particularly in regions of the world with reduced marine research infrastructure and budgets. Growing up in Australia, Heath developed a love of the coast and its biology which continues to this day. He has been active with AFS in the Northeast over the years, from his time working for NOAA to the student subunit at Cornell.
Southern Division Representative
Andrew McMains
I have a wide range of experience working with federal, state, and academic research institutions. Since completing my B.S. I have worked in a wide range of fisheries positions. I started with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries as a fisheries technician working with River Herring and on a gill net survey. After this, I worked as a research technician at UNC Institute of Marine Sciences and NCSU Center for Marine Science and Technology before starting my PhD program at ECU. I am a native of North Carolina and a lifelong angler.
I received my B.S. in Environmental Science (Natural Resources Management) from the University of Montana – Western. I am currently a 4rd Year PhD Student in Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biology, Biomedicine and Chemistry at the East Carolina University Coastal Studies Institute. My PhD research focuses on using acoustic techniques (e.g. acoustic telemetry, acoustic imaging, multibeam and splitbeam sonar) to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic changes on understudied, and often difficult to sample, fish habitats. One of my favorite projects was using acoustic telemetry to determine the home range and site fidelity of juvenile Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) in relation to a commercial oyster farm. For my most recent project, I am using an acoustic imaging system to explore how coastal inlet channel dredging impacts utilization in terms of fish abundances, distributions, and movement patterns.
I have been the treasurer of the ECU AFS Student Subunit since the 2021. I have led fundraising efforts and managed/recorded our club funds during that time. During my time as treasurer, I have worked with our parent university to fund conference registrations and lodging fees for up to 12 members of our subunit to attend the annual AFS Tidewater Meeting. Many of them were able to present their work at and academic conference for the first time, at no cost to themselves. I was also an integral part of the planning and execution of the 2022 Tidewater AFS Meeting, where our research group hosted a 100-person meeting with student, faculty, and professional attendees from across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. I have attended the Tidewater AFS Meeting in 2021-2024, the National AFS Meeting in 2021 the Southern Division Meeting in 2023.
I intend to encourage active communication with chapters and subunits within the Southern region. I want to get information from all the member units regarding their research projects and recent accomplishments so we can highlight the breadth of study of across the South and the achievements of our members. I also want to open discussion and work with university student subunits in particular to help them grow membership and participation. Students and early career professionals are the future of AFS, and it is vital that we work together to grow our membership and continue to provide benefits to help our current members succeed. The networking opportunities afforded to AFS members is a critical function of our society. Furthermore, I will participate in whatever special committee roles are needed by the EXCOM (as specified in the Procedural Manual).
North Central Division Representative
Kelsey Crowley
My name is Kelsey Crowley, and I am nominated by Logan Zebro to serve as the Student and Early Career Professional Subsection Representative of the North Central Division. During my bachelor’s degree at Union University, I was heavily involved in student government and founded and elected President of Critter Club that sought to build important relationships with professionals in the field. My desire to continue research and leadership into the realm of fisheries was inspired by my two years of intense research I undertook as an undergraduate. I am now a first-year master’s student at South Dakota State University in Dr. Alison Coulter and Dr. Chris Cheek’s labs. My thesis focuses on the creation of habitat suitability models for native freshwater mussels and host fishes across states in the Great Plains including South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska
I recently joined AFS for the first time and I look forward to becoming more involved as an active member of AFS and a member of the parent society. I will be attending my first AFS Annual Meeting in September and I’m excited for the opportunity to meet other fisheries professionals, build relationships, and learn more about how fisheries are impacting American society. Furthermore, I intend to become involved in our school’s AFS Student Subunit as a mentor to undergraduate students.
Should I be elected as the next NCD representative, I would like to concentrate on updating the subunits particularly on graduate school/job/technician positions as many students find them difficult to come by. Additionally, I would like to promote opportunities for field work, training, and conferences to assist in building up student experiences. I am grateful for this opportunity to become more involved in AFS while assisting students and early career professionals in achieving excellence in fisheries.
Andrew Foley
Andrew is a current graduate student at Ohio State University’s Aquatic Ecology Laboratory studying the recruitment decline of Yellow Perch in central Lake Erie. He received his associate’s degree in biological sciences from Florida State University in 2021 and his bachelor’s degree in marine sciences from the University of Florida in 2023. Alongside his education, Andrew has worked on a variety of research projects across multiple systems and fisheries. He spent a year working as a technician on a research project investigating the reproductive potential of Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. For the past five years, he has been an active volunteer with Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s fisheries monitoring programs by helping conduct both top predator and juvenile finfish surveys in an Everglades restoration area. He spent time volunteering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s Stone Crab Survey along Florida’s west coast. In 2022, he was selected to attend the Great Lakes Fisheries Science Training Workshop at The Ohio State University sponsored by NOAA where he was first exposed to Lake Erie fisheries. Since then, Andrew has led a collaborative research project with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – Division of Wildlife and Ohio State University where he is investigating the decline in central basin Yellow Perch. This work has included both historical statistical modeling, larval diet analysis, zooplankton quantification, and predator abundance in order to understand both the past and present mechanisms impacting Yellow Perch recruitment. Within AFS, Andrew has been an active member of the National Chapter, Florida Chapter, and Fish Habitat Section since 2022 and an active member of the Ohio Chapter since 2023. Additionally, he served on the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program Review and Selection Committee this year. Andrew’s goal as the North Central Division representative is to assist the university AFS subunits by providing support and information from the NCD and SECP. He hopes to further encourage engagement and membership within these university subunits and at the national level by encouraging members to get involved with both organizations. With his effective communication and leadership skills, he hopes to be an active voice for North Central Division student subsections on the SECP Executive committee by voicing subunit concerns and relaying pertinent information back to university groups. Andrew will bring enthusiasm for the SECP, AFS, and Fisheries Science to this committee and looks forward to the opportunity to be a leader in AFS.
Western Division Representative
MeiLin Precourt
Aloha, my name is MeiLin Precourt. I am running for the SECP Western Division Representative of AFS. I am currently serving as the founding president of the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) student subunit of the Pacific Islands Chapter. In my presidential role, I have been actively helping to plan the 154th AFS conference in Honolulu HI, and am heading the student events committee with help from my wonderful subunit, and committee members. I am from BC, Canada and moved to Hawaiʻi about 5 years ago. I was first introduced to AFS back in 2018 as a Hutton Fellow. In 2022, with encouragement from mentors involved with AFS, I decided to create a student subunit of AFS at UH. The goal of this subunit is to create an inclusive and collaborative environment for students and to encourage communication between the Pacific Islands Chapter, Western Division, and AFS. Within our first year, we have grown to approximately 40 members. My subunit presidential term will come to an end following the AFS 154th meeting, so there will be minimal overlap if I am elected as the Western Rep. I am a fourth-year undergraduate at UH, studying Natural Resource Management, with the intent to pursue graduate studies in fisheries ecology and management. Currently, I am studying extinction risk in ray-finned fish using predictive machine learning algorithms. I have also worked on projects involving species distribution modeling of invasive species, migratory patterns and life history of salmon, and bluefin tuna stock mixing. My overall career goal is to contribute to meaningful research that helps safeguard our fisheries. I firmly believe that sustainable fisheries management is crucial to uplifting coastal communities and maintaining indigenous traditions.
If elected, I am committed to enhancing collaboration and communication among students within our society. I will work diligently to represent the interests of the Student and Early Career Professionals section to the Western Division, ensuring that our voices are heard and our goals are met. My focus will be on promoting transparency, encouraging active participation, and facilitating open dialogue between students and professionals. I am eager to serve and contribute to the continued success and inclusivity of our society.