We study plants and insects in urban landscapes.

Our vision: Thriving urban communities that recognize, respect, and foster biodiversity.

Our mission: To develop innovative plant and arthropod management solutions that enable and empower people to create biodiverse urban ecosystems.

Most people live in or around cities and rely on lawns, trees, and shrubs to beautify their landscapes, filter air and water, reduce temperatures, provide recreational space, and support wildlife. Unfortunately, conditions common to urban landscapes, typically associated with how we create and maintain them, often reduce the services plants provide and predispose them to pest problems. The result – reduced biodiversity and more intensive management.

The overriding objectives of our lab are to develop short and long-term strategies that reduce insect pests and promote beneficial organisms in turf and ornamental systems. My lab’s research interests include plant-insect interactions, biological control, integrated pest management, and biodiversity conservation. We aim to set urban landscapes up for success under rapid urbanization and future global change.

We direct our research efforts based on Green Industry needs and translate the results of our work into application and digestible forms through various outlets of our Extension program in an effort to support and advance the turf and ornamental industries in Florida, the Southeastern U.S., and beyond.