2025-2026 MW CASC Graduate Student
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Kayla Lenz is a master's student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences department. Her research focuses on gaining a greater understanding of the spawning behaviors of walleye (Sander vitreus), in order to inform harvest limits/quotas, dates that harvest should be prohibited, and establish protected areas so that this species may continue to persist despite pressures brought about by climate change. Her work is conducted in partnership with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) and seeks to incorporate both indigenous and Western worldviews to for a more holistic view of management.
Research Topic: Using Movement Ecology to Identify Spawning Sites and Fidelity of Ogaa (Walleye Sander Vitreus): Implications for Fishery Stewardship