SWIMMER'S ITCH SOLUTIONS - Key Persons


Dr. Curtis Blankespoor

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Swimmers Itch Solutions Team

Dr. David Jude

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Swimmers Itch Solutions Team
David has a B.S degree from the University of Minnesota in Fish and Wildlife Management, a MS in fishery biology from Iowa State University, and a PhD in Limnology from Michigan State. He was on the faculty of the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources as a research scientist, and has worked there for 40 years focusing on Great Lakes water quality and fishery issues, including research on cormorants. His main interest is with fish, taught courses on fish ecology, and he has extensive field experience on ships, ROVs, and small boats.

Dr. Harvey Blankespoor

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Swimmers Itch Solutions Team

Dr. Randall DeJong

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Swimmers Itch Solutions Team
Randy completed his Ph.D. in parasitology at the University of New Mexico with Sam Loker, a prominent schistosome expert, as his advisor. During that time, he acquired molecular biology skills that were further honed during a postdoc studying malaria at the National Institutes of Health. He continues to apply these skills in a number of research areas, including using qPCR to detect the sources of E. coli and other fecal bacteria in watersheds around the state. In addition, he has experience catching waterfowl while working for Harvey Blankespoor and while doing research on waterfowl blood parasites.

Dr. Ren Tubergen

Job Titles:
  • Mechanical Engineer
  • Member of the Swimmers Itch Solutions Team
Ren completed his Ph.D. in Biomechanics at Purdue University in 1995, and is currently on the faculty of Calvin College. Since 2003 he has been a principal in Gumbo Product Development, an engineering consulting organization that specializes in taking concept to production. Ren served as the industry advisor for the design team that constructed the first common merganser spring trap.