Aaron Shultz

Aaron Shultz is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. Simultaneously, he serves as a Climate Change Fisheries Biologist at the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC). His career spans academia, conservation, and fisheries management, with leadership roles at the Cape Eleuthera Institute (2005–2016) including Research Director (2009–2016) and Managing Director (2011–2016).

• Education: PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2015), MS (2009), BS (Michigan State University, 2004)

Shultz's research focuses on climate change impacts on fisheries, thermal stress physiology, and sustainable management frameworks. He has extensively studied coastal and inland fisheries in the Great Lakes, Bahamas, and Wisconsin, applying the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) model for climate adaptation. His work bridges empirical research and policy, addressing trophic mismatches, habitat degradation, and Indigenous stewardship practices.

Recent publications emphasize climate-driven phenological shifts (2024–2025), RAD framework applications (2022–2025), and bonefish ecology (2011–2020). Key collaborators include David P. Philipp, Steven J. Cooke, and Holly Embke.

Scientific Awards:

• NRES Graduate Award for Excellence in Research (2011)
• Illinois International Graduate Achievement Award (2011)
• Coldwater Fisheries Scholarship (2004)
• Performance Award - USDA Forest Service (2000)

Shultz has advised graduate students through place-based education at the Cape Eleuthera Island School and contributed to fisheries telemetry projects, focusing on bonefish, lake sturgeon, and walleye conservation. His work involves grants like the Illinois Division of Fisheries' Research and Analysis of Fisheries in Illinois (2009).