Dr. Kimberly Moore

Dr. Kimberly Moore
Featured in: DPM Newsletter Fall 2014

After graduating with her MS and PhD in Horticulture from Iowa State University, Dr. Kimberly Moore was first hired
as an assistant professor at the University of Florida in 1995. Currently, Dr. Moore is a Professor who focuses on teaching and conducting research in the Environmental Horticulture Department at the UF Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC). Her continued efforts and successes in the horticultural sciences have resulted in the recently added title of Distinguished Teaching Scholar at UF.

Unlike the other faculty members DPM News has featured thus far, Dr. Moore serves the university and its students from one of UF’s Research and Education Centers (RECs). Twelve RECs, Research and Demonstration Sites (RDSs), and several other offices are located throughout the state to help provide extension level support and distance education to students, faculty, and the general public.

Since Dr. Moore was hired to teach courses catered to place-bound students who could not relocate to Gainesville, she felt that moving to Gainesville was not necessary. As the resident student numbers changed, Dr. Moore increased the availability of her courses online. With improved technology, she has been able to participate in meetings
statewide without leaving the office. This grants her the flexibility to manage her various responsibilities and collaborate with other faculty from the Plant Pathology, Wildlife Biology, Geomatics, and Entomology departments all within the confines of the REC.

In addition to her role as a Professor and her research responsibilities at FLREC, Dr. Moore serves as chair for the DPM committees of Greg Kramer, Director of Horticulture at Bok Tower Gardens, and Theresa Chormanski, Associate Professor for the Landscape & Horticulture Tech Program at Miami Dade College. She also serves as a member of the supervisory committee for Nicole Casuso. When asked to rate the effectiveness of the DPM program at training students for careers in academia and extension, Dr. Moore replied:

“I think that the DPM program is very effective. In my opinion, the internships and practical work experience are the most beneficial. Course work is great for the foundation knowledge, but actually working in an area of study puts the knowledge to work. For example, it is fine to understand nutrient uptake in plants, but a different set of skills to figure out which one is deficient and fix the problem.”