Dr. Christopher Bonvillain
Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator of Biological Sciences
Director of University Graduate Studies
Ph.D. – Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Louisiana State University
M.S. – Marine and Environmental Biology, Nicholls State University
B.S. – Biology, Environmental Biology concentration, Chemistry minor, Nicholls State University
I am an aquatic ecologist with interests ranging from ecosystem-level physical processes to organismal biology and ecology. I enjoy Louisiana and have spent my career working in the multitude of aquatic ecosystems throughout the state. Although crayfish and fish are my principal research organisms, all biota in the aquatic realm pique my interest. Take a couple of minutes to look around and contact me with any questions.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Kathryn Freeman
Kathryn is from Natchez, Mississippi and graduated from Mississippi College with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Kinesiology. Her thesis project is determining the life history of the Pontchartrain Painted Crayfish Faxonius hobbsi in Louisiana.
Cody Cretini
Cody is from Terrytown, Louisiana and graduated from Nicholls in Spring 2024 with a B.S. in biology with a marine biology concentration. His undergraduate research examined the effect of environmental hypoxia on Red Swamp Crayfish oocyte characteristics in the Atchafalaya River Basin and Barataria Basin. Cody’s thesis is examining invasive carp as crayfish bait in the Atchafalaya River Basin wild crayfish fishery.
Robi McGarvey
Robi is from Lawrenceville, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in Ecology with a minor in English. His thesis is determining the distribution and habitat assessment of secondary and tertiary burrowing crayfish in the Pearl River basin, Louisiana.
Jonathan Eisenhour
Jonathan is from Morehead, Kentucky and graduated from Morehead State University with a B.S. in Geology. His thesis is determining the distribution and habitat assessment of primary burrowing crayfish in the Pearl River basin, Louisiana.
Ivy Norton
Ivy is from Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and graduated from Monmouth University with a B.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy. Her thesis is comparing flotant marsh stability on aquatic faunal communities in Barataria and Terrebonne basins, Louisiana.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
LAB ALUMNI
Jordan Logarbo
Jordan is from Geismar, Louisiana and graduated from Nicholls in Spring 2017 with a B.S. in biology, marine biology concentration. Her honors undergraduate research examined the physical and physiological thermal maxima of two sympatric crayfishes in Louisiana, Procambarus clarkii and P. zonangulus. Jordan received a M.S. in Renewable Natural Resources with a concentration in Fisheries and Aquaculture at LSU in 2021. She is a Biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District.
Lauren Kong
Lauren is from Alamo, California and graduated from Mills College with a B.A. in biology and a minor in environmental studies. She graduated from Nicholls in Fall 2017 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. Her thesis examined population characteristics of Procambarus clarkii from hydrologically impaired areas in the Atchafalaya River Basin. Lauren is a Fish and Wildlife Biologist in the Listing and Recovery Division with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Sacramento, California.
Alexa Ballinger
Alexa is from Reno, Nevada and graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a B.S. in fisheries science. She graduated from Nicholls in Fall 2018 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. Her thesis examined crayfish population characteristics in two hydrologically different Louisiana river-floodplain systems. Alexa is an Anadromous Fish Biologist with the Idaho Fish and Game in Boise, Idaho.
Gabrielle Sisson
Gabby is from Alden, New York and graduated from State University of New York (SUNY), College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse with a B.S. in Wildlife Science. She graduated from Nicholls in Fall 2019 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. Her thesis examined Procambarus clarkii ovarian maturation and the first stock assessment of crayfish in the Atchafalaya River Basin. Gabby measured 80,720 crayfish for her thesis! Gabby is a Certification Project Manager at Biodegradable Products Institute in Buffalo, New York and is also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Rissa Inselman
Rissa is from Morrison, Oklahoma and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Zoology. She graduated from Nicholls in Spring 2020 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. Her thesis examined community development, oyster density, and population growth on bedded cultch concrete as a function of cultch density along eroding marsh shoreline. Rissa worked as a Research Associate at the Louisiana Sea Grant Oyster Hatchery in Grand Isle, Louisiana after graduation. She is now an Instructor of Biological Sciences at Nicholls.
Austin Ortman
Austin is from Brookville, Indiana and graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences, Ecology/Evolution/Organismal concentration. He graduated from Nicholls in Fall 2021 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. His thesis examined the effects of chronic environmental hypoxia on crayfish population characteristics, fecundity, and trophic structure in the Atchafalaya River Basin. Austin is an Ecologist with Cardno in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Frederick ‘Casey’ Davis
Casey is from Newport News, Virginia and graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. He graduated from Nicholls in Fall 2021 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. His thesis examined the distribution, population status, and habitat assessment of crayfish in the Tickfaw, Tangipahoa, and Tchefuncte River basins in Louisiana. Casey is currently working on his Ph.D. in Biology at the University of Arkansas. His dissertation is examining landscape- and local-scale habitat influences on the distribution and abundance of the crayfishes Faxonius eupunctus, F. wagneri, and F. roberti in the Spring River, Strawberry River, and Eleven Point River drainages in the Ozarks.
Elizabeth Myers
Elizabeth is from Newton, Iowa and graduated from Frostburg State University with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries and minors in Biology, Geography, and Sustainability Studies. She graduated from Nicholls in Fall 2023 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. Her thesis comparied the marsh edge and open water aquatic faunal communities at a degraded natural estuarine ridge in Terrebonne Basin, Louisiana. Elizabeth is a Lake and River Fisheries Biologist with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in Plummer, Idaho.
Rob Bergeron
Rob is from Des Allemands, Louisiana and graduated from Nicholls State University with a B.S. in Biology with an Environmental Biology concentration. He graduated from Nicholls in Fall 2024 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. His thesis examined the absence of a riverine flood pulse on Red Swamp Crayfish life history and fecundity characteristics in the upper Barataria Basin, Louisiana. Rob is a Natural Resource Specialist Environmental Scientist with the Utah Department of Transportation.
John (JD) Carrier
JD is from Benton, Louisiana and graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a B.S. in Biology. He graduated from Nicholls in Summer 2025 with an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Biology. His thesis examined the effects of chronic environmental hypoxia in the Atchafalaya River Basin on Red Swamp Crayfish fecundity and ooctye development. JD works at Gators & Friends in Greenwood Louisiana.
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