Lab Members

S. Luke Flory, Ph.D. (PI)

Professor and Associate Chair

• Fulbright U.S. Scholar (2022-2023)
• Florida Climate Institute Distinguished Faculty Fellow (2021)
• Research Foundation Professor (2019-2022)
• UF/CALS Undergraduate Teacher of the Year (2020)
• UF International Educator of the Year (2017)

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Flory full CV (updated 2023)

Agronomy Department
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611

Affiliate:
UF SNRE Interdisciplinary Ecology
UF Tropical Conservation and Development Program
UF Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants
UF Latin American Studies
UF Environmental Horticulture

Email: flory@ufl.edu
Office: 3127A McCarty Hall B
Lab: 3128 McCarty Hall B

Deah Lieurance, Ph.D.

Coordinator, IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas
I am responsible for the implementation of the IFAS Assessment including 1) the Status Assessment, used to evaluate the invasiveness of non­‐native species that currently occur in Florida’s natural areas, 2) the Infraspecific Taxon Protocol, used to evaluate the invasive potential of horticultural selections and cultivars, and 3) the Predictive Tool, used to determine the potential invasiveness of species that are not currently found in Florida but are proposed for introduction (e.g., biomass crops and ornamental plants).

My dissertation research addressed many aspects of mechanisms contributing to the success of non-native Lonicera species and included plant-herbivore interactions, chemical ecology, enemy release, tolerance and resistance to herbivory. I also have experience in the areas of ecosystem ecology, plant allometry, ecophysiology, and the testing and development of biocontrols for prominent invasive plant species in Florida.

Email: dmlieurance@ufl.edu

Drew Hiatt, M.Sc.

Ph. D. Student
I’m interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying plant invasions, with an emphasis on how phenotypic plasticity as well as post introduction evolution / hybridization can impact spread and range expansion.

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Email: dhiatt@ufl.edu

Yukti Taneja, M.Sc.

Ph. D. Student
I have been fascinated with the persistence of highly abundant local populations and the species interactions that enable it. Through my PhD, I look forward to studying this problem in the context of biological invasions. I will be exploring the role played by the acquisition, maintenance, and reorganization of mutualisms in aiding the success of invasive plants and decline of natives.

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Email: ytaneja@ufl.edu

Christian Wanamaker, B.Sc.

M.Sc. Student
I’m broadly interested in botany and plant ecology, especially in understanding the distributions of invasive species and their impacts. My research looks at how native and invasive grasses are responding to heat and drought stress, and how those stressors may constrain their distributions. In addition to my Master’s research, I have worked for the UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants since 2018.

Email: cwanamaker22@ufl.edu