Congratulations to Dr. Luke Flory, Professor and invasive plant ecologist in the Department of Agronomy, for his selection as 2021 Florida Climate Institute Distinguished Faculty Fellow and Dr. Katy Serafin, Assistant Professor and coastal scientist in the Department of Geography, for her selection as 2021 UF Early Career Florida Climate Institute Faculty Fellow!
These awardees are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to interdisciplinary climate research, extension, and education programs, as well as their strong support of Florida Climate Institute Programs.
Dr. Luke Flory joined the Agronomy Department in 2011 as an invasive plant ecologist and has had remarkable achievements, an expanding national and international reputation as an expert and leader in invasive species ecology. He is responsible for investigating the mechanisms behind non- native species invasions, quantifying their ecological impacts, and examining how invasive species interact with other global change drivers such as climate change, emerging pathogens, and fire. Dr. Flory’s focus on invasion ecology is addressing one of the most critical problems faced by the state of Florida, the US, and the world.
Dr. Katy Serafin joined UF Geography in 2019 and over the past few years, her research has advanced the understanding of how processes such as waves, tides, and storm surge drive extreme coastal water levels in sandy beach and coastal river/estuarine environments. Investigation into the cascading impacts of sea level rise at UF by evaluating how the duration of nuisance or “sunny day” flooding events which have the potential to disrupt daily routines and put added strain on the human-built environment have been changing here in Florida and across the United States.
Stayed tuned for details on the date and format of the 2021 Faculty Fellows Celebration to honor this year’s FCI Faculty Fellows along with Water Institute Fellows Drs. Jiangxiao Qiu, Early Career and Lisa Krimsky, Distinguished Fellow.
