Directory
Dan Stephens
Program Manager
Dan grew up hunting and fishing in Missouri and developed a lifelong passion for the outdoors. After attending Murray State University in Kentucky and graduating with a degree in Wildlife Biology, Dan worked various jobs ranging from wild turkey research, bobwhite quail research, and botany research to assisting private landowners with better managing their properties for wildlife. Dan is an avid wildlife photographer and worked for several years as both a freelance and wedding photographer. Dan joined the Illinois Learn to Hunt program in the summer of 2017.
Favorite Outdoor Hobbies: Deer/turkey/waterfowl/small game/upland hunting, gardening, wildlife photography, and fishing.
Other Hobbies: Hockey, reading, cooking with garden produce and wild game, playing guitar, and listening to old vinyl records.
Jason Buckley
R3 Workshop Coordinator
Jason grew up spending time outdoors with his family—camping, hunting, and fishing in Pennsylvania. His passion for nature led him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science/Biology at Kutztown University. He went on to earn a Master of Science in Conservation Biology from Central Michigan University. After graduating, Jason held several positions, including working as a fisheries field technician for the Illinois Natural History Survey, where he monitored fish populations across Illinois. He later spent several years as an environmental scientist for an environmental consulting firm. Jason joined the Illinois Learn to Hunt program in January 2020.
Favorite Outdoor Hobbies: Walking my dogs, deer & turkey hunting, SCUBA, traveling, fishing, and camping.
Other Hobbies: Philadelphia sports fan, skee ball, darts, pool, trivia, board games, live music, stand-up, and movies.
Curtis Twellmann
R3 Workshop Coordinator
Curtis grew up hunting, trapping, and fishing in central Missouri. After getting a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Curtis worked for various agencies across 8 states in the wildlife field. He went from scouting deer in southern Texas to working with waterfowl in Northern Alaska, catching pheasants in Nebraska to leading bird counts in the Nevada mountains, and a couple of things in between. It was a stint with the Wisconsin DNR as the Assistant Furbearer Specialist that was his first taste of R3, when he was the Coordinator for the state’s Cooperative Trapper Education Program. Curtis joined Illinois Learn to Hunt in the fall of 2020.
Favorite Outdoor Hobbies: Waterfowl hunting, small game hunting, bow hunting deer, turkey hunting, trapping, fishing, birding, mushroom hunting, camping, and general nature appreciation.
Other Hobbies: Baseball, cooking, disc golf, carpentry, and reading about history and/or nature.
Lauren Dean
Assistant Research Scientist, Hunter Research
Lauren grew up in Maryland with a deer-hunting dad who got her a hunter ed course for her 13th birthday. Although she loved the course, it took her until adulthood to get into hunting (she realized she could use it as an excuse to run around the woods with her dog, which is all she really wants out of life). She has a B.A. in Anthropology from Tulane, an M.A. in History from the University of Missouri, and an M.P.S. in Wildlife Conservation and Management from Unity Environmental College, which drove home the importance of hunters and trappers for wildlife management and introduced her to the concept of R3. She joined the team in the summer of 2024.
Favorite Outdoor Hobbies: Running my basset at the beagle club, small game hunting, goose hunting, and wildlife photography. She’s also just starting to get her feet wet with trapping!
Other Hobbies: Working with her dog, exploring local parks, and reading fiction.
