Eric Strauss

Eric Strauss is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and serves as the Director of the River Studies Center. He teaches courses in limnology, water quality, ecology, and general biology, while leading undergraduate and graduate research programs focused on nutrient cycling and ecosystem processes in stream and river systems.

• Education: Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (University of Notre Dame, 2000), M.S. in Biology (Kansas State University, 1995), and B.S. in Fisheries Biology and Chemical Science (Kansas State University, 1992).

His research centers on limnology, stream and river ecology, and water quality, with a focus on nitrogen and phosphorus cycling, nitrification, denitrification, and nutrient dynamics in aquatic ecosystems. Recent publications highlight studies on floodplain forests, hyporheic zones, invasive species, and the impacts of agricultural landscapes on stream nutrient processing.

Eric collaborates with scientists from institutions like the U.S. Geological Survey and Fort Hays State University. Notably, he has mentored graduate student Robert Mooney on projects involving nutrient-specific foraging by aquatic insects and periphyton interactions.