PGE Staff
Mark Lycett
Program Director
Haskell 302 — (773) 702-6040
m-lycett@uchicago.edu
Dean Clason
Program Administrator
Pick 118 — (773) 702-1673
pge@uchicago.edu
David Aftandilian
Preceptor and Lecturer
Pick 116 — (773) 834-0621
daftandi@bsd.uchicago.edu
Shayna Plaut
Internship Coordinator
Pick 101 — (773) 834-4408
shayna@uchicago.edu
Maddie McLeester
Program Advisor
Pick 118
maddie@uchicago.edu
About the Program
The Chicago area, despite its urban character, is home to significant biodiversity. Situated at the intersection of the northern boreal forest, prairie, savanna, and dune environments, Chicago is a crossroads for more than just our own species. Here the great eastern tallgrass prairies met oak-hickory woodlands as well as wetlands, savannas, swamps, and other associations, forming a complex mosaic of environments. The long history of human habitation in this region has significantly transformed local environments, but not all pre-contact environments have vanished and local efforts at restoration and conservation have begun to make a significant difference in the extent and health of indigenous plants and animals. Our logo is derived from the Hickory (Carya); local oak-hickory forests are dominated by Shagbark Hickory (C. ovata) and Bitternut Hickory (C. cordiformis).

