Larry “Bud” Price
Office Manager
Phone: (217) 206-TBD
email: lpric01s@uis.edu
I am married to Cathy Price, who works in the Office of Cashiering Operations here at UIS. We have two sons. Larry is a Computer Programmer at Wells-Fargo Bank in Den Moines, and Dr. Ken is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh.
My first career was in radio broadcasting. I built a new FM station, WKXQ 92.5, in Rushville, Illinois, in 1985 and purchased WPWQ FM 106.7 at Quincy in 1995. I sold both stations in 1999 and came to UIS to finish by undergrad degree, earning a BA in Liberal Studies, focusing on multimedia communications in 2001. I continued in graduate studies, focusing on Human Resource Management. I then earned a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Labor Relations (Public Administration Department), and a Certificate in Workforce Development through Human Development Counseling as part of my Master of Arts, Individual Option in 2002. I worked as a business consultant before coming to work at UIS as an Office Support Specialist for LIS, LNT, SOA, and WGS in 2007.
I am thrilled to be selected as Office Manager for ENS and MPH and look forward to serving these departments for many years to come!
Desserae Shepston
Online Coordinator
GIS Instructor
Phone: (217) 206-8524
email: dshep5@uis.edu
Desserae is earning her PhD from the Department of Geography at Texas State University-San Marcos, with a specialty in Environmental Geography. She is currently ABD and expects to graduate in May of 2012. Desserae’s dissertation research examines the intersection of changing forest management policies and changes in managers’ perspectives and practices on the patterns of forest distribution across tenures in the coastal forests of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Her research utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods and is interdisciplinary in nature. She is employing both GIS and remote sensing technologies to analyze forest cover change as well as content analysis of interviews to assess changes in manager’s perspectives and practices. Desserae’s general areas of interest include natural resource use and management, land-use/land-cover change, and cross-scalar linkages between ecosystem components, where humans are considered as a part of the ecosystem.
Desserae grew up in Champaign, Illinois, but lived in Germany and Texas prior to returning to her home state and joining the staff at UIS. In her spare time, Desserae enjoys hiking, camping, photography, and traveling the North American continent as well as destinations across the pond.
Sagar Shah
ENS Graduate Assistant
email: sshah99@uis.edu
Sagar received his BS and PG Diploma in Environmental Science from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India. During his undergrad, he served as a resource person with the Forest Department of Gujarat, India. He was instrumental in wildlife census, rescue work, and several government projects back in India. He was working with Traspek Chemical Industries ltd. as a Research Assistant after completing his PG Diploma program.
“I am pursuing an M.S. degree at UIS. I am a keen wildlifer, bird watcher and wildlife photographer. After completing my MS in Environmental Studies, I want to see myself as a conservationist.”
Joe McNamara
GIS Lab Graduate Assistant
Phone: (217) 206-8403
email: jmcna2@uis.edu
Joe received his B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies at Augustana College. During his time at Augustana, he served as an intern with the Natural Resource Conservation Service field office in Milan, IL, studied Ecology and Spanish in Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico on foreign term, and became an avid user of Geographic Information Systems technology.
He is currently pursuing an M.A. degree here at UIS with a concentration in Environmental Planning and Management. During the summer of 2011, Joe worked in the Environmental Studies department as a Research Assistant, using GIS to identify potential habitat corridors for research on the Illinois state-threatened Franklin’s Ground Squirrel. Joe is a native of Peru, IL, and enjoys intramural sports, backpacking, and traveling.
