Our Team

RSC Staff

Jeanette L. Schnars, Ph.D., Executive Director

Dr. Schnars has been the Executive Director of the RSC since 2007. She received her B.S. degree in Biology from the Pennsylvania State University with a Minor in Marine Science. After working for the U.S. Geological Survey on researching sea turtle populations at Padre Island National Seashore, TX, she continued her education at the State University of New York – College at Buffalo earning a M.S. degree in Biology researching the migrations of sea turtles in Costa Rica. While working as an Instructor in the Biology Department of Penn State – Erie, she earned her Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University in Wildlife and Fisheries Science researching the effects of contaminants on the common snapping turtle. Dr. Schnars continues to conduct research on fisheries, turtles, and bacterial contamination in Lake Erie, in addition to being an active board member and chairing many committees.

Jen Salem, Plant Lab Manager 

Jen has been working as the RSC Horticultural Specialist since 2016, and was formerly the Tom Ridge Environmental Center’s Native Garden Coordinator. In addition to managing the RSC Plant Lab and Greenhouses, she is the director of the Weed Warriors of Presque Isle, a volunteer group which removes invasive plant species from PISP. Jen is also the founder of Go Native Erie!, an organization that promotes the use of native plant species while discouraging the use of invasive plants. Jen has a
background in greenhouse management, perennial production and landscape design.

Sean Dalton, Lab and Field Manager

Sean has been the Lab and Field Manager for the RSC since January 2022. He received his B.S. degree from Allegheny College’s Environmental Science program with a Minor in Geology and a focus in GIS in 2017. He began work with the RSC as a volunteer and seasonal intern in 2014 before being hired as the Field Technician and GIS Specialist in 2018, and later the Lab and Field Coordinator in May 2020. He has experience with many of the RSC’s projects including fish studies, water quality, algae, nutrients, and amphibian identification. Sean leads the RSC’s seasonal research technicians, pilots the organization’s drone missions, as well as compiles and organizes the RSC’s GIS database.

Sarah Magyan, Aquatic Biologist

Sarah has been the Aquatic Biologist for the RSC since January 2022. She was formerly the Education and Outreach Manager since May 2020 and began working with the RSC as a seasonal technician in May 2018. Sarah manages the RSC Education Program and several wetland restoration projects monitoring fish, mussels, and macroinvertebrates. She received her B.S. degree in Freshwater and Marine Biology with minors in Chemistry and Environmental Science from Gannon University in 2018. She has experience with many of the RSC’s projects including studies on water quality, algae, bacteria, and nutrient levels and enjoys educating students at the K-12 and college levels on a wide variety of topics related to science and the environment.

Hailey Dahl, Education and Outreach Manager

Hailey has been the Education and Outreach Manager for the RSC since September 2023. She received her B.S. degree from Coastal Carolina’s Marine Science program in 2023. Hailey has participated in research with bull sharks, coral reefs, and ascidians during her time at Coastal Carolina University. She also has experience teaching in communities and classrooms about conservation and environmental issues. Hailey manages the education involved with the many RSC University and School District members and outreach to the community.

Jacob Korte, Environmental Education Specialist

Jacob joined the RSC team in September of 2024 as an environmental education specialist. He has been working in education since 2013 teaching college courses in biology, environmental science, and chemistry. He earned a Bachelor of Science in both biology and environmental science where he studied succession in fire prone ecosystems and dimorphism in eastern gray squirrels. He has a Master of Science in biology from Wayne State University for which he characterized the habitat of the upland sandpiper across the state of Michigan. As a college instructor, Jacob has collaborated with the RSC on number of educational opportunities with his students and is proud to be a new member of the team.

Collaborators

Ashley Pastore

Ashley Pastore is an artist working in Erie, PA and is the creator of Grounded Print and Papershop. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a focus in Printmaking and New Media. Recently her work was displayed at Allegheny Galleries and Mirabo Press. Her work is on permanent display in Chicago’s Union Station and on the Erie Center for Art and Technology building. Her work currently examines repetitive activity, imaginary narratives and explores the impulse to live forever through the realm of physical objects.

Jonathan Titus, Ph.D., Botanist

Jonathan Titus is a botanist with more than 40 years of experience. He recently retired from the Biology Dept. at SUNY-Fredonia where he taught a wide variety of courses in biology and advanced courses in botany, plant taxonomy, and ecology.  His ongoing research focuses on  plant ecology with field sites in wetlands and uplands throughout the Great Lakes region with studies that focus on plant community succession, forest change and invasive species. Some of his previous work includes research in Mount St. Helens National Monument studying primary succession and in Arizona on an endangered wetland plant species, for which he was a co-author on the draft Recovery Plan for US Fish and Wildlife Service. He had also conducted plant ecology research in Albania, Czech Republic, Botswana, and the Phillipines.  He is an active volunteer for many non-profit land conservancies and for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and he serves on the Board Directors of the Nature Sanctuary Society of Western New York.

Priscilla Titus, Ecologist

Priscilla Titus is a broad-based ecologist with more than 40 years of experience throughout much of the United States. Her experience  encompasses  natural  resource  management,  inventory  and monitoring,  wetland assessments and delineations, wildlife surveys, rare plant surveys, restoration evaluations and design, and construction monitoring. While living in Arizona, she designed a research program for an endangered wetland plant species and was a co-author on the draft Recovery Plan for US Fish and Wildlife Service. After moving to Western New York from Tucson in 2005, her strong interest for native plant conservation led her to start collecting and propagating seed of local native genotypes for use in restoration efforts because native plants were not readily available for sale in the region. Her efforts have contributed to large-scale restoration projects in the Niagara Gorge and at Stella  Niagara  and  Tifft  Preserves.  She  is  currently  a  locally  recognized  expert  in  native  plant propagation and plant community restoration. She designed and implemented a native plant garden for the Darwin Barker Library in Fredonia and she devotes much of her time and energy as a volunteer in educating the public about the benefits of landscaping with native species.