Rachel Rogers

Rachel Rogers serves as a Research Fellow and Lab Manager at Loyola University Chicago's School of Environmental Science, a position she has held since 2018. She oversees the Keller Lab's daily operations while conducting field and experimental research focused on freshwater ecosystems and invasive species management across the Great Lakes and Western United States.

Her educational foundation includes a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering (2016) and an MS in Natural Resources and Environmental Science (2018), both earned at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her master's thesis under Eric Larson pioneered species distribution modeling for invasive crayfish in the Great Lakes and conservation assessments for native Western U.S. crayfish species.

Rogers' research centers on freshwater ecology with specialized expertise in invasive aquatic invertebrates, particularly crayfish. She investigates environmental drivers of species distribution (including water temperature effects), develops control methodologies like electric barriers, and leads active removal projects for invasive red swamp crayfish in Chicago's North Branch River. Her work bridges ecological theory with practical conservation applications to protect native biodiversity.

Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent methodological rigor in species distribution modeling and experimental barrier testing, with geographic focus spanning the Great Lakes Basin, Mississippi River system, and Western U.S. watersheds. Her research demonstrates interdisciplinary integration of ecology, environmental engineering, and conservation biology to address urgent invasive species threats.

As Keller Lab Manager, Rogers mentors undergraduate and graduate students in research design and field techniques while maintaining laboratory infrastructure. Her operational leadership supports collaborative projects with agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey, though specific grant details remain unpublicized.

The Keller Lab functions as her primary research hub, where she coordinates field sampling, experimental setups for electric barrier testing, and data analysis for ongoing invasive species monitoring initiatives across regional freshwater ecosystems.