bob vierck, chair

Bob is a State College native who returned in 2004. For the 26 years prior to returning, he lived in Honolulu, HI where he owned a computer service business, Decision Support Services, Inc. (DSSI) that provided computer repair and consulting services in Hawaii and throughout the Micronesian Islands. Bob is President Emeritus of the Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Jill Barskey, vice chair

Jill is currently the Watershed Stewardship Coordinator with ClearWater Conservancy. She works closely with staff, volunteers, and conservation partners to complete riparian buffer restoration projects across Central PA. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Resource Management with minors in GIS and Watersheds & Water Resources from The Pennsylvania State University.

Leigh Fehlman, Secretary

Bob Carline, Treasurer

Bob served as Leader of the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Penn State from 1984 until his retirement in 2007. His area of emphasis was freshwater fish ecology and much of his research was focused on the Spring Creek watershed.

lexie orr

Lexie is the key person collecting, managing and reporting on the data collected by the KWRC. She has an M.S. in Ecology and is working on a Ph.D. in Forest Resources. When she’s not wading in streams or working on water data, she’s either out in the woods, on the golf course or enjoying a craft beer at a local brewery.

Graham Markowitz

Graham earned a M.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies from Shippensburg University (2015) and a B.S. in Earth Science from Emporia State University (2011). He has worked as a Hydrologist with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission for over a decade, focusing on flood mapping, drought coordination, and water availability studies. Before joining the Commission, he assisted with implementing streambank stabilization projects in New York’s Catskills region. Outside of work, he’s a forest forager, gardener, Labrador retriever lover, and self-proclaimed half-decent fly fisher.

Dave Dewalle

Dave DeWalle, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Forest Hydrology at Penn State University. He was the 2023 recipient of the Warren A. Hall Medal by the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) to recognize his outstanding contributions to water resources research.

TAylor Blackman

Taylor lives in State College and operates a small environmental business (Ridge & Valley Wetlands, LLC). He has a B.S. in Water Science (PSU), an M.S. in Soils (Virginia Tech), and is finishing a PhD in Forest Resources (PSU). Research interests include vernal pools, geospatial data and mapping, legacy sediments, wetland restoration, and non-timber forestry products such as mushroom foraging. 

Lauren mcphillips

Lauren McPhillips is an Assistant Professor at Penn State co-appointed in Civil and Environmental Engineering as well as Agricultural and Biological Engineering. She has expertise on hydrology, soils, and water quality, with a particular interest in nature-based solutions. She has a BS in Science of Earth Systems and MS and PhD in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. She has previously worked for the US Geological Survey as a research associate in Reston, VA.

Mark thomas

Mark is currently the Wildlife Habitat Program Manager for PennWest University. He oversees the restoration of stream, wetland, and upland habitats across Pennsylvania. He holds a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Fisheries from California University of Pennsylvania and a M.S. in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University.