Invasive Species Symposium 2026

Christopher Pennuto, Ph.D., Interim Director, Great Lakes Center – SUNY Buffalo State University

Dr. Pennuto is an aquatic ecologist with a 30-year career investigating the role of invasive species in lake and stream habitats, and biomonitoring to assess the recovery and restoration of aquatic systems. He has been with Buffalo State University for 22 years and currently wears many hats.

He is Interim Director of the Great Lakes Center and a Professor in the Biology Department. He also serves as the Director of the Western New York PRISM office (partnership for regional invasive species management)

Dr. Pennuto recently was awarded membership into the inaugural SUNY Research Leadership Academy, completing multiple training sessions coordinated by the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. He has published nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications and has garnered over $12 million dollars in extramural funding to support research and training efforts in aquatic ecology. He is a recognized expert in the identification of aquatic macroinvertebrates and has trained 24 Master’s degree candidates in areas of invasive species and aquatic ecology.

Sandy Smith, Director of Community Engagement, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper

Sandy joined the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper team in 2022 as Director of Community Engagement, developing and implementing organizational programs, projects, and initiatives delivering to BNW’s mission to protect and restore our water for the benefit of current and future generations. Prior to Waterkeeper, Sandy was an educator at Nichols School (Buffalo, NY) for 25 years. During her tenure at Nichols, she designed and implemented a curriculum introducing science principles through the lens of water, environmental resources, the Great Lakes, and Western New York and taught a senior elective course in water and our relationship to global and local water resources. In addition to her work at BNW and Nichols, Sandy has been involved in coordinating and leading educational outreach work and professional development in the Great Lakes region.  

Emily Dyett, Community Engagement Manager, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper

Emily manages, coordinates, and leads watershed-wide outreach initiatives focused on connecting people to their local waterways and engaging them in stewardship and community-driven advocacy to protect clean water. She manages Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper’s Cleanups Program, which mobilizes more than 2,000 volunteers each year in litter removal and data collection. She develops and implements place-based environmental education curriculum for students of all ages and has more than 10 years of experience in community engagement, environmental education, and climate justice advocacy.

Rachel Taylor, Community Science and Engagement Program Manager, WNY PRISM

​Rachel joined WNY PRISM in October 2022 as the Community Science and Engagement Program Manager. She works to engage community members in efforts to monitor and manage invasive species within the western New York region. Rachel implements community science programs, coordinates volunteer efforts, communicates with the public, plans and coordinates events, develops outreach materials, manages WNY PRISM’s social media accounts and maintains WNY PRISM’s website. Prior to this, Rachel worked for over a decade in the Florida Everglades, in various wildlife biologist roles and as a biocontrol research technician.