Source: Newswise
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has appointed internationally acclaimed entomologist and ecologist Matthew Thomas as director of the new Invasion Science Research Institute (ISRI).
In this newly created role, Thomas will establish the framework for ISRI, which will bring together more than 120 UF/IFAS scientists from more than 20 departments currently dedicated to the detection, diversion, tracking and control of nonnative and invasive wildlife and plant species. This interdisciplinary group of scientists makes up the Invasion Science Research Initiative.
“There’s no richer environment than Florida for an invasion scientist, so our state and university have long attracted top experts in the field,” said J. Scott Angle, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and head of UF/IFAS. “Under the leadership of Dr. Thomas, I expect the institute will channel this expertise even more effectively in defending our public health, agriculture and economy.”
The institute will support the development and implementation of a portfolio of interdisciplinary research to address key challenges in the prevention and control of invasive species that impact natural, agricultural, and urban environments.
“Dr. Thomas elucidated a compelling plan for developing a shared vision for invasion science at UF/IFAS. I am confident that our invasion science programs will emerge as a world leader under his leadership,” said Robert Gilbert, dean for UF/IFAS Research and director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station. “He is a globally-respected scientist with over $30M in grants who has experience growing and running cross-college institutes.”
Thomas comes to Florida from the United Kingdom, where he most recently served as director of the York Environmental Sustainability Institute and professor at the University of York. Prior to this, Thomas spent 12 years as a Professor at Penn State University where amongst his accomplishments, he was the founding director of The Ecology Institute, a cross-college institute under the auspices of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment. He was also affiliated with the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Penn State. In his earlier career he served as senior principal research scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), an Australian government agency responsible for scientific research, and was a faculty member at Imperial College London.
Among strategic priorities for ISRI, Thomas hopes to foster research that builds links between disciplines and explores the potential for utilizing novel tools and approaches including biotechnology, biosensors, digital technologies, artificial intelligence and citizen science to advance understanding and management of invasive species.
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