Our Team & Consultants
Ron Reimink, Owner
Freshwater Solutions
Ron began working on the parasites responsible for causing swimmer's itch as an undergraduate at Hope College in 1977. That experience led to decades of summer fieldwork focused on education, research, and control of swimmer's itch on lakes in Wisconsin, Maine, and Michigan. Ron received his Masters Degree in biology education from the University of Michigan and was a professional high school biology educator during the academic year from 1983-2015. He also directed a Science Institute for high school seniors in the Rocky Mountains, taught teachers from across the country at the American Wilderness Leadership School in Jackson, Wyoming and has served in many other leadership roles within his church and professional community. He currently mentors college students as a member of the Hope College Campus Ministries Team during the college academic year, while focusing all of his attention on research and innovative water quality monitoring and improvement strategies during the spring and summer months.
Kelsey Froelich- Teacher; Freshwater Solutions Lab Director
Kelsey grew up spending her summers on various lakes in northern Michigan, often assisting her dad (Ron) working on various aspects of swimmer's itch education, research, and control. Through these experiences she developed a love for biology, leading her to Hope College where she doubled majored in biology and kinesiology along with teacher certification. While at Hope, Kelsey conducted research in ecology (Costa Rica) and early childhood motor skill development. She began her teaching career teaching secondary science in Holyoke, CO in 2011. She then accepted a job in St. Joseph, MI teaching Biology and AP Biology (2013-present). She is currently an MSc student in Dr. Hannington’s lab at The University of Alberta. Her thesis project focuses on the use of community based monitoring to track septic system functioning.
Dr. Rex Lowe, Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin
Dr. Lowe was born and raised in central Iowa. Following local schooling he entered Iowa State University where he earned Bachelor of Science and PhD degrees focusing on botany and water resources. After his university education Dr. Lowe accepted a position at Bowling Green State Univ., Bowling Green, OH where he taught courses on aquatic science and conducted his research on freshwater algal ecology. While at Bowling Green he published over 150 scientific manuscripts, books and book chapters. His research has taken him to New Zealand, India, Palau, China and elsewhere. His honors and awards include Bowling Green State University Distinguished Teacher in Sciences Award, Bowling Green State University, Olscamp Research Award, Phycological Society of America Award of Excellence and G. P. Wilder Distinguished Chair in Botany at the University of Hawaii 2007-2008. Following his retirement in 2012 Dr. Lowe and his wife Sheryn moved to Madison where their 2 sons live. Dr. Lowe currently continues is research through the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin. Two members of FWS took master’s level classes from Rex and count him as one of the best teachers of all time!
Dr. Patrick Hannington- Associate Professor, Environmental Health Sciences;
University of Alberta
Patrick is a parasitologist and molecular biologist who has been working with qPCR in a variety of applications for almost 20 years. He has worked in Canada, the US, and Ghana on snail-transmitted parasites. He and his research team at the University of Alberta focus on the development of qPCR -based methodologies for quantifying biological hazards, such as the parasites found in ambient recreational waters that cause swimmer’s itch. Patrick continues to lead research on swimmer’s itch in his home province of Alberta, and supports integration of advanced monitoring tools such as qPCR, with community education and engagement. He maintains a swimmer’s itch-focused website targeted at translating current knowledge related to swimmer’s itch back to the community.
Chris Froelich- Teacher; Field Assistant
Chris grew up on Lake Michigan, in Stevensville, MI. He attended St. Joseph’s College where he played football and completed his degree in Education and Exercise Physiology. Chris began his teaching career in Rensselaer, IN in 2006. In 2008 he accepted a position at Buchanan High School, MI (2008-present). Chris has also been coaching soccer, football and wrestling at St. Joseph High School for the last 12 years. Chris has been working with all aspects of swimmer's itch research, education and control since the summer of 2015 and is a certified drone pilot working with Zero Gravity Aerial, LLC.