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Gulf Coast Research and Education Center

Gulf Coast Research and Education Center

Gulf Coast Research and Education Center's Faculty

UF/IFAS researchers are award-winning, internationally recognized experts who publish papers in leading peer-reviewed journals and are inducted into prestigious organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The University of Florida is a land-grant university and an Association of American Universities member. Our faculty are committed to the UF/IFAS research mission while also assuming Extension and teaching responsibilities. Findings from their research are used as the basis for Extension programs taught statewide via publications, distance education, and field day events, and are the foundation for many of the classes taught by our faculty.

GCREC Directory

Jack Rechcigl

Dr. Jack Rechcigl

Center Director and Professor of Soil,
Water & Ecosystem Sciences

Gulf Coast REC - Balm/Plant City
813-419-6571

Dr. Shinsuke Agehara

Associate Professor of Horticulture
Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6583

Dr. Zhanao Deng

Professor of Environmental
Horticulture

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6605

Dr. Fahiem EL-Borai

Dr. Fahiem El Borai

Research Assistant Scientist,
International Outreach

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6612

Dr. Andrew Koeser

Associate Professor of
Environmental Horticulture

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6589

Dr. Seonghee Lee

Associate Professor
of Horticulture

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6611

Dr. Marcus Marin

Research Assistant Scientist
Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6671

Dr. Hugh Smith

Associate Professor of
Entomology and Nematology

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6588

Dr. Xu (Kevin) Wang

Assistant Professor of Ag Engineering
Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6618

Dr. Nathan Boyd

Associate Center Director and
Professor of Horticulture

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6613

Dr. Debra Barry

Assistant Professor
Gulf Coast REC - Plant City
813-757-2288

Dr. Johan Desaeger

Associate Professor of
Entomology and Nematology

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6592

Dr. Zhengfei Guan

Dr. Zhengfei Guan

Associate Professor
of Ag Economics

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6590

Dr. Sriyanka Lahiri

Assistant Professor
of Entomology

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6585

Dr. Natalia Peres

Professor of
Plant Pathology

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6601

Dr. Gary Vallad

Professor of Plant Pathology
Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6577

Dr. Vance Whitaker

Professor of Horticulture

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6608

Dr. Amr Abd-Elrahman

Professor of Geomatics

Gulf Coast REC - Plant City
813-757-2283

Dr. Daeun (Dana) Choi

Assistant Professor of Ag Engineering
Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6591

Dr. John Diaz

Associate Professor of Agricultural
Education & Communication

Gulf Coast REC - Plant City
813-757-2297

Dr. Anuj Sharma

Assistant Professor
of Horticulture

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6604

Dr. Jessica Chitwood-Brown

Assistant Professor of Horticulture
Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6610

Dr. Mary Lusk

Assistant Professor of Soil,
Water & Ecosystem Sciences

Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6586

Doug Phillips

UF/IFAS Blueberry Extension Coordinator
Gulf Coast REC - Balm
813-419-6597

Dr. Shane White

Assistant Professor of Agricultural
Education & Communication

Gulf Coast REC - Plant City
813-757-2284

PostDoc Research Associates

Name Title Email
Acosta Rangel, Aleyda Horticultural Science aacostarangel@ufl.edu
Barreto da Silva, Felipe Entomology barretodasilva.f@ufl.edu
Buzanini, Ana Claudia Horticultural Science ana.buzanini@ufl.edu
Cardoso de Souza, Joao Horticultural Science j.cardosodesouza@ufl.edu
Fan, Zhen Horticultural Science fanzhen@ufl.edu
Dalid, Cheryl Horticultural Science cdalid@ufl.edu
Hammami, Abdel Malek Ag Economics ahammami@ufl.edu
Han, Hyeondae Horticultural Science hyeondae@ufl.edu
Herrig, Renato Horticultural Science re.herrigfurlane@ufl.edu
Huang, Kuan-Ming Ag Economics khuang2@ufl.edu
Jang, YoonJeong Horticultural Science yoonjeong.jang@ufl.edu
Kidane, Selamawitt Nematology selamawit.kidane@ufl.edu
Kim, Jinhee Horticultural Science jine323@ufl.edu
Kloppe, Tim Plant Pathology timkloppe@ufl.edu
Sierra, Edgar Horticultural Science e.sirerra@ufl.edu
Zuniga, Adrian Plant Pathology adrianizuniga@ufl.edu

 

Graduate Students

  Lovely Adhikary
l.adhikary@ufl.edu
Entomology 
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Sriyanka Lahiri
    Omeed Mirbod
mirbodo@ufl.edu
Ag Engineering
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Dauen Choi
 

Elissar Alam
elissaralam@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Seonghee Lee

    Mariana Monteiro
mariana.monteiro@ufl.edu
Entomology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Hugh Smith
 

Galvin Alonzo Ortiz
galvin.alonzoort@ufl.edu
https://www.linkedin.com/in/galvin-alonzo-ortiz-3b9316190
Plant Pathology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Natalia Peres

    David Moreira
daanmoca94@ufl.edu
Nematology
Degree:
Advisor: Dr. John Desaeger
  Matt Brown
rmattbrown@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:  MS
Advisor:  Dr. Nathan Boyd
    Amanda Muni-Morgan
a.munimorgan@ufl.edu
Soil and Water Science
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Mary Lusk
  Allan Busuulwa
abusuulwa@ufl.edu
Entomology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Sriyanka Lahiri

    Justina Odogwu
justina.odogwu@ufl.edu
Soil and Water Science
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Mary Lusk
  Gasselle Cordova
ga.cordova@ufl.edu
Environmental Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Zhanao Deng

    Roshni Panwala
r.panwala@ufl.edu
Plant Pathology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Gary Vallad
  Marcelo Dimase
marcelodimase@ufl.edu
Entomology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Hugh Smith

    Brooks Parrish
brooks.parrish@ufl.edu
Environmental Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Zhanao Deng
  Namrata Dutt
namrata.dutt@ufl.edu
https://www.linkedin.com/in/namratadutt/
Ag Engineering
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Daeun Choi

    Mark Porter
markporter@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Seonghee Lee
  Rana Elessawy
rana.elessawy@ufl.edu
Plant Pathology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Natalia Peres
    Lillian Pride
lpride3@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Shinsuke Agehara
  Amanda Furuya
amandafuruya@ufl.edu
Entomology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Hugh Smith

    Renzo Ramirez
rramirezantazu@ufl.edu
Plant Pathology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Gary Vallad
  Leonard Gaspar
lgaspar@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Sam Hutton

    Gabrieli Riva
gabrieliriva@ufl.edu
Nematology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Johan Desaeger
 

Hadi (Farhad) Ghasemi
hghasemi@ufl.edu
https://twitter.com/HaDGhasemi?t=BcSj6PjGdaQXb8ZXsn2o5Q&s=09
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadi-ghasemi-93580662
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Shinsuke Agehara and Dr. Nathan Boyd

    Alex Rodriguez
alex.rodriguezca@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Nathan Boyd
  Garrett Giles
garrett.giles@ufl.edu
Plant Pathology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Gary Vallad
    Alexander Schaller
aschaller@ufl.edu
Environmental Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor: Dr. Zhanao Deng
 
Uche Ilodibe
u.ilodibe@ufl.edu
Ag Engineering
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Dauen Choi
    Kai Shen
Shen.Kai@ufl.edu
Ag Engineering
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Xu Wang
 

Samuel Ipinyomi
ipinyomi.samuel@ufl.edu
https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-breeding/students/
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor: Dr. Sam Hutton

    Lovepreet Singh

 

Cleveland Ivey
civey@ufl.edu
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleveland-ivey-b6ba00136/
Entomology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Hugh Smith

    Andrea Suazo
asuazotejada@ufl.edu
Plant Pathology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Gary Vallad
  Gagandeep Kaur
gagandeep.xz@ufl.edu
Entomology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Sriyanka Lahiri

    Moriah Williams
williamsmoriah@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Nathan Boyd
  Jinhee Kim
jine323@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Seonghee Lee

    Emily Witt
emilywitt@ufl.edu
Horticulture
Degree:  MS
Advisor:  Dr. Nathan Boyd
 

Junaid Lone
j.lone@ufl.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6417-1392
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Junaid-Lone
https://www.linkedin.com/in/junaidz11/
Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Shinsuke Agehara

    Elise Willis
evanwie@ufl.edu
Environmental Horticulture
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Andrew Koeser
  Laura Mayorga
lmayorgasantafe@ufl.edu
Nematology
Degree: MS
Advisor:  Dr. Johan Desaeger

    Jingya Yang
yang.j@ufl.edu
Plant Pathology
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Gary Vallad
        Caiwang Zheng
caiwangzheng@ufl.edu
Geomatics
Degree:
Advisor:  Dr. Amr Abd-Elrahman

 

 

GCREC Staff

Administration - GCREC Balm and GCREC Plant City

 

Johanny Zabala - Manager, Administrative Services
jzabala@ufl.edu 813-419-6576
Administrative management of fiscal and other office staff; Management of all funds for Balm and Plant City (Federal, State, all Other); grant amendments; grant no cost extensions; Review expenditures for budgetary control; Control receipt and disbursement of funds to and from the unit; Distribution calculations; FAR/ER; process annual perquisites request; prepare GCREC AD419 Federal report; DSA; Approve Travel, PO, and Voucher; Employee Relations.

 

Alice Akers - Multimedia Specialist
aliceakers@ufl.edu 813-419-6591
Media Coordinator, Event Planning, Website Coordinator

 

Tiffany Bainbridge - Fiscal Assistant
tbainbridge@ufl.edu 813-419-6652

 

Joshua Brown - HR/Fiscal Assistant
brownjoshua1@ufl.edu 813-419-6575
Assists with personnel and hiring, reports and payroll, assists with fiscal transactions. 

 

Michelle Middleton-Philpot - Admin Assistant I
mmiddleton@ufl.edu 813-757-2287
Processes travel-related transactions for Balm and Plant City; assist Plant City personnel with daily clerical needs; assists with undergraduate recruitment program and other programs at Plant City; post transactions and update biweekly payroll in Shadow System.


 

Belinda Missen - HR Generalist
bmissen@ufl.edu 813-419-6573
Coordinates HR processes and job actions, including OPS and TEAMS recruitment and hires, international hires, advertising, LOA, waivers, J1 and H1B Visas, worker’s comp claims, identity coordinator, enter initial/hire distributions, back-up DSA, and unit DSO,

 

Joel Parlin - IT Professional II
jwparlin@ufl.edu, 813-419-6580
Systems administration, computer support, IP telephony, Microsoft Active Directory management, computer account creation; provide a secure computing environment and continuous availability for network system, servers, software applications, video conferencing, and local and remote access by GCREC employees to perform their official job responsibilities; assist teaching faculty with support for classes.

 

Claudia Prado - Admin Assistant
claudia.pradocam@ufl.edu 813-419-6578
Assistant to Center Director and Operations Manager, Directory Coordinator, Student Housing Coordinator and Liaison, front desk and general office duties; key inventory; back-up travel processor.

 

Marianne Smith – Accounting Specialist
mariannesmith@ufl.edu 813-419-6574
Processes non-travel pCard; processes purchase order transactions; processes pCard vouchers; pCard Approver; helps personnel with obtaining UF purchasing credit card, post transactions to shadow system; annual capital and attractive property inventory.

 

Jason Steward -Academic Recruiter Plant City
jsteward@ufl.edu 813-757-2280

 

Todd Test - Maintenance Generalist II
parttime@ufl.edu 813-419-6640

Farm Operations Name Title Phone Email
  Bridges, Austin      
  Brown, R. Matthew Agricultural Assistant III   rmattbrown@ufl.edu
  Cofer, Jeb Farm Manager 941-737-4791 jcofer@ufl.edu
  Decker, Bennie  Agricultural Assistant I    
  Moreno, Jose Farm Manager 813-789-9825 jjmoreno@ufl.edu
  Noyola, Misael Agricultural Assistant I    
  Rauh, Fred Agricultural Assistant I    
  Rauh, Tim Agricultural Assistant II    
  Rubino Alvarez, Jose Agricultural Assistant II   jrubino@ufl.edu
Research Staff Name Title Phone Email
  Arredondo, Angel Ag Assistant II/Strawberry Breeding 813-419-6615 aarrend@ufl.edu
  Autery, Eric  Agricultural Assistant III/Environmental Horticulture    
  Bui, Hung Xuan Biological Scientist III/Nematology 813-419-6634 hungbui@ufl.edu
  Carter, Justin Biological Scientist II/Nematology 813-419-6582  
  Carter, Lorna Lab Tech I/Plant Pathology 813-419-6601 ltcarter@ufl.edu
  Cassaway, Marissa Biological Scientist II/Plant Pathology 813-419-6600  
  Chambers, Laurel Biological Scientist II/Entomology 813-419-6587 laurelkchambers@ufl.edu
  Cummings, Dolly Biological Scientist II/Tomato Breeding 813-419-6609 dollyc@ufl.edu
  Dalid, Cheryl Biological Scientist II/Strawberry Breeding 813-419-6615 cdalid@ufl.edu
  Davis, Tim Biological Scientist II/Tomato Breeding 813-419-6609 timmyd@ufl.edu
  Delcastillo, Christopher Agricultural Assistant II/Horticulture Sciences 813-419-6594 chdelcas@ufl.edu
  Garcia, Geovanny Agrcultural Assistant II/Environmental Hort 813-419-6603  
  Hernandez, Lucina Agricultural Assistant I/Environmental Hort    
  Hughes, Scott Agricultural Assistant III/Plant Pathology 813-419-6600 bshughes@ufl.edu
  Lopez, Judith Agricultural Assisant II/Tomato Breeding 813-419-6645  
  Martin, Robert Ag Assistant III/Plant Pathology 813-419-6601 martinrw@ufl.edu
  Moyer, Catalina Biologicial Scientist II/Strawberry Breeding 813-419-6615 torresc@ufl.edu
  Osorio, Luis Biological Scientist IV/Strawberry Breeding 813-419-6614 lfosorio@ufl.edu
 

Salazar, Mariel Gallardo 

Biological Scientist II/Environmental Horticulture    
  Seijo, Teresa Biological Scientist III/Plant Pathology 813-419-6601 tseijo@ufl.edu
  Suguinoshita, Carol Biological Scientist II/Plant Pathology    
  Sweat, Michael Agricultural Assistant III/Weed Science 813-419-6604 michaelsweat@ufl.edu
  Ueda, Kazuyo Biological Scientist II/Tomato Breeding 813-419-6609 kaueda@ufl.edu
  Verma, Sujeet Biological Scientist II/Strawberry Breeding 813-419-6614 sujeet.verma@ufl.edu
  Wang, Weining (Bill) Biological Scientist II/Horticultural Sciences 813-419-6594 billwang@ufl.edu
  Witt, Emily Agricultural Assistant II    
  Xie, Chenzhao Biological Scientist II/Nematology 813-419-6582 chenzhaoxie@ufl.edu
  Yoo, Cheol-Min Research Coordinator II/Strawberry Breeding 813-419--6616 cyoo@ufl.edu

 

 

Emeritus Faculty