Troy Farmer
Assistant Professor in Fisheries Ecology

Originally from Pelham, Alabama, Troy completed his BS and MS at Auburn University where he worked at the Ireland Center for Fisheries Research with Dennis DeVries and Russell Wright. Troy earned his PhD in the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory at The Ohio State University working with Stuart Ludsin and Elizabeth Marschall. After completing his dissertation research Troy worked as a post-doctoral fellow with Matt Catalano in the Quantitative Fisheries Lab in the Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences. An overarching goal of Troy's research is to generate novel ecological knowledge that can inform applied management needs. Along these lines, much of his research has focused on understanding how ecological stressors (i.e., climate change, hypoxia [O2 < 2 mg/L, aka “dead zones”], salinity exposure) affect fish populations, and subsequently, impact management of aquatic resources.
Aaron Bunch
PhD Student

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Aaron completed his B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences at N.C. State University and his M.S. in Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences at the University of Florida working with Dr. Mike Allen. Prior to starting his PhD work at Clemson, Aaron worked as the Tidal Rivers Project Leader with Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, a Regional Fish Program Manager and Colorado River Research Supervisor with Arizona Game & Fish Department, and as a ​Fisheries Technician with North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.  Aaron's dissertation research will use novel acoustic telemetry approaches and emerging quantitative techniques to study diadromous fish passage in coastal rivers of the Carolinas. Results of Aaron's research that evaluates the effectiveness of new structures and environmental flows on fish passage success with the goal of informing management efforts aimed at enhancing diadromous fish passage in coastal rivers.
Deon Kerr
MS Student

Deon completed his B.S. at Bowling Green State University where he worked as a student research assistant in Dr. Jeff Miner's lab studying larval walleye diel vertical migrations in Lake Erie and assisting on a variety of research projects. Prior to arriving at Clemson Deon also completed an internship with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife working in the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit in Sandusky, Ohio. Deon's MS research works is aimed at understanding habitat selection by native Largemouth Bass and non-native Alabama Bass in Lake Hartwell, SC. Ultimately, Deon's work aims to inform future South Carolina DNR habitat enhancement efforts in Lake Hartwell. 

Jessie Kriner
​Lab Manager

Jessie earned a B.S. in Fisheries Biology from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, he worked in Thailand for four months on shrimp aquaculture with the World Wildlife Fund. He has also work with Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. He has experience in warm-water aquaculture, cold-water aquaculture, and pond and lake management. When not working on research projects, Jessie enjoys spending time with his wife and family, hunting, fishing, and spending time with his two dogs.

Meghan Angelina
Former M.S. Student

Meghan attained her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marine Science-Biology from the University of Tampa in May 2016. She went on to complete the NOAA-NGI Diversity Internship at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and was hired on to be a laboratory research technician in the Fisheries Oceanography and Ecology lab. In Fall 2016, she participated in SEAMAP’s Fall Plankton Survey on NOAA’s R/V Gordon Gunter in the Gulf of Mexico. Her interests lie in the physiology of fishes, as it relates to the organisms’ environment. For her MS research at Clemson, Meghan studied 1)  habitat-specific effects on the growth of Southern Flounder and 2) historical drivers of recruitment variation along the northern Gulf of Mexico.  Meghan is currently working in a position with Georgia DNR and Georgia Sea Grant.

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John Cannaday
Former M.S. Student

John attained a B.S. in Wildlife Sciences and Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at Purdue University. After graduating he worked for fish hatcheries in Alaska, an anadromous fish marking program in Idaho, and pond management in the Midwest. John has spent the last two years working as a technician at Ohio State University evaluating channel catfish stocking practices in Ohio reservoirs. He is interested in how climate change is and will continue to impact aquatic ecosystems. John’s MS research examined the impact of climate change on egg quality and recruitment success in southern Yellow Perch. Currently, John is working for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Corvallis, Oregon.

Jared Chrisp
M.S. Student

Jared graduated with a B. S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in May of 2014. After graduating, he spent two summers protecting sea turtle nests in South Carolina and Florida. Before beginning his M. S. degree, he completed a season with Yellowstone National Park where his primary focus was to remove non-native salmonid species for the reintroduction of native Artic Grayling and Westslope Cutthroat Trout. He is interested in studying the ecology and life history of fish in order to improve management practices to better maintain sustainable populations. Jared’s MS research at Clemson used otolith microchemistry and tissue stable isotopes to quantify residency patterns of southern flounder.  Currently, Jared is working for Georgia DNR Marine Fisheries in Brunswick, Georgia.

Mason Collins
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Mason earned his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology at Clemson and worked in the lab on several research projects. During his time at Clemson he gained experience working with Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout on the South Fork of the Flathead River in Montana, conducted a summer internship with South Carolina DNR as a Region 4. He also served as the social media officer and president for the Clemson Student Sub-unit of the American Fisheries Society. Currently, Mason is pursuing an M.S. at UNC Wilmington with Dr. Fred Scharf focused on Southern Flounder.