Month: October 2017

  • Save the Date!

    ATTENTION PROFESSIONALS WHO MANAGE TREES, SHRUBS, OR OTHER ORNAMENTAL PLANTS! The UF Landscape Entomology lab is hosting the first annual Florida Ornamental IPM Workshop in Gainesville, FL on February 7-8, 2018. This workshop will cover the latest information on the biology, movement, and management of insects, mites, and their associated pathogens of Florida trees, shrubs, and other ornamental plants.

    During Day 1, experts from across the state and other regions of the U.S. will present the latest research on established and emerging exotic pests of ornamental plants. Poster and discussion sessions will address the most pressing challenges facing the state’s ornamental plant industry.

    Day 2 will consist of hands-on workshops where participants learn about the most current IPM strategies and resources available to them in Florida.

    CEUs will be offered!

    For more information visit https://dalelab.org/program/
    To register for the event go to https://dalelab.org/registration/

  • Dr. John Peterson


    Featured in: DPM Newsletter Spring 2017

    Dr. John Peterson received his B.S. in Horticulture and Plant Science from the University of Rhode Island and his Ph.D. in Horticulture and Plant Physiology from Rutgers University. Dr. Peterson is a Professor in the UF Environmental Horticulture Department and the Director of the Plant Science Major at UF.

    Before coming to UF he served as a Horticulture Professor, Department Head for the Horticulture and Crop Science Department, and Director of the Wine and Viticulture Program at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. He has also served in many other positions including: Horticulture Professor at The Ohio State University; President of the AmeriFlora ’92 International Flower and Garden Exposition in Columbus, Ohio; President of the Massachusetts Horticulture Society in Boston, MA; President of Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding; CA; and Director of the San Francisco Botanical Garden and Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco, CA. In these roles he has conducted research related to the production of floriculture crops and tropical foliage in indoor environments, plant nutrition and water quality, and research related to attracting students to majors and careers in plant science. Dr. Peterson first had the opportunity to come to UF on sabbatical leave and then decided to stay as a faculty member. He has been in his current role as Professor and Director of the Plant Science Major for 1.5 years. Continue Reading →

  • Dr. Gillett-Kaufman

    Featured in: DPM Newsletter Fall 2016

    Dr. Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman is an Associ-ate Extension Scientist in the UF Entomology and Nematology Department and has been working at UF for the past 12 years. Her appointment is 70% Extension, 20% teaching, and 10% research.
    Dr. Gillett-Kaufman coordinates many of the online outreach activities in the Entomology and Nematology department including the department newsletter, social media pages, and the Featured Creatures website. In addition, Dr. Gillett-Kaufman teaches an undergraduate course, a study abroad course in Italy, and two graduate courses:

    • IPM 4254: Landscape IPM: Ornamentals and Turf
    • ALS 4404: Insects in Italy: The Role of Entomology in Art, History, and our Future (co-taught with Dr. Phillip Kaufman)
    • ENY 5405: Insect Vectors of Plant Pathogens
    • ALS 6046: Grant Writing (co-taught with Dr. Jaret Daniels)

    Dr. Gillett-Kaufman’s current research is focused on insect pests of olive in Florida and developing IPM programs for olive production in Florida. You can check out one of her EDIS publications on olive pests here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1046.
    When asked what she enjoys most about her job, Dr. Gillett-Kaufman replied, “Learning new things and meeting new people. In my position I get to learn about and work on new and different topics all the time, it keeps things interesting.” Continue Reading →

  • Dr. Aaron Palmateer

    Featured in: DPM Newsletter Summer 2016

    Dr. Palmateer has since moved to another position, you can read about his contributions the DPM program and students in the archived highlight below.

    Dr. Aaron Palmateer is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in ornamental plant pathology at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) in Homestead, FL. TREC is located in an area with a 12 month growing season that offers opportunities to conduct outdoor research trials year round. TREC has a diverse faculty group conducting research on numerous tropical and sub-tropical crops. This environment attracts students, postdocs, and visiting scientists from all over the world, especially those from tropical climates. When asked about what it is like to work at the TREC Dr. Palmateer stated: “I really enjoy working at the TREC because of the diversity and daily interaction with people from other disciplines.” Continue Reading →

  • Dr. Trevor Smith

    Featured in: DPM Newsletter Spring 2016

    Dr. Trevor Smith has served as Affiliate/Graduate Faculty at the University of Florida for the past five years. As an Assistant Professor (courtesy) in the Entomology and Nematology Department, Dr. Smith’s areas of specialty include taxonomy, biological control, eradication technologies, regulatory agricultural issues, biomass plant regulation, and leadership roles in regulatory ento-mology. He provides mentorship to graduate students by directing research projects and delivering lectures within his areas of interest. Dr. Smith serves on several graduate student committees, including current DPM/PhD student Cory Penca. MS Entomology and Nematology alumnae Ashley Poplin and Katrina Pickens, and DPM alumnus Eric LeVeen, also had Dr. Smith on their committees. Continue Reading →