SNR Alumni Spotlight: Tylr Naprstek

SNR Alumni Tylr Naprstek
SNR Alumni Tylr Naprstek

What degree(s) did you earn from UNL and in what year(s)?

Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources in December 2003, emphasis in Fisheries Management

How do you feel your SNR education prepared you for your career?

By being made aware of a wide array of a multitude of real world examples and getting the background story to match, the education I received really paid dividends by producing a generalized foundation on which a career could be built. Specific case and example; my introduction to GIS was done categorizing Salt Creek Tiger Beetle habitat, which evolved into a skill set on which I based my entire career. We also were made aware of issues that continue to face us today such as nitrate contamination in drinking water, in the case we studied, for the municipal well in Hickman. All of this exposure to real world scenarios helped achieve a successful career in Natural Resources Management.

Who were some of your favorite (or most memorable) professors and classes?

My advisor and professor of Ichthyology was Dr. Ed Peters, who was very passionate about all things fisheries. Some of my memorable outdoor experiences was getting to conduct fish surveys using seine net fishing techniques along the Platte River, which turned out to be a muddy good time. Also, conducting Largemouth Bass size surveys at night using an electro-shocking boat at a local lake was very intriguing. Even the inside classroom stuff was impactful, like when we were studying fish anatomy, Dr. Peters brought smoked salmon to help demonstrate myomeres location and function, which really sticks with a poor, starving, college kid! I would be remiss if I didn't mention the value that was derived from Dr. Larkin Powell's Wildlife Management class, specifically exposure to Geographic Information Systems (GIS). What started as just a small portion of a section of class, with a very basic operating system, Arc Map 3.2 and minimal features prove to be the genesis of a program that would come define my entire career. I currently use Arc Pro 3.5+ with a multitude of features that all owe their start to that limited exposure I had with the program back with Dr. Powell first started!

Describe your non-academic activities during your time at the university. For example, were you involved in any SNR-related student groups? Did you study abroad?

When it comes to non-academic activities, two of them specifically come to mind Marching Band/Pep Band and Wildlife Club. I look back at my time at UNL and there is just no way to not at least consider my time with the band, it is woven into my DNA. There was a lot of hard work associated with it, early mornings and late nights of marching drill, mountains of music to memorize, endless band camp jokes, but the payoff was well worth it. Memorial Stadium in all its glory on those crisp fall days, the hostile fan base of opposing schools, the bowl trips, and even a trip to Ireland to march in the St. Patty’s Day Parade. Many of my closest friends came from that experience. There were also all the pep band activities, getting to see both the volleyball and women’s basketball start to build. It also meant food, as they usually fed us at the games! The other non-academic activity was UNL Wildlife Club. A much different experience, most of these people involved had similar backgrounds and were looking for an outdoor experience. As vice president, I organized and led a group down the upper Snake River near Merriman, Nebraska. What was supposed to be a relaxing canoe trip turned into a survival demonstration as we timed the deer fly hatch perfectly, faced numerous water hazards, and the stormy weather at night prevented any one from getting any rest. Needless to say, I was banned from planning any more events!

Follow the rest of Tylr's story at https://snr.unl.edu/aboutus/what/newstory.aspx?fid=1283