Newswise — GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Gregg Nuessly, who has served as interim director of the University of Florida’s Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade since November 2013, has now been named to that post permanently.

“Gregg is a very accomplished researcher in serving the industry in Southeast Florida and has done an exceptional job as the interim director,” said Jack Payne, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

Nuessly has worked at the Everglades research center since 1989. Before being named interim director, he served for two years as associate director for the center, which is part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“I’ve had great experiences working collaboratively with a group of Everglades REC faculty and staff over the last 26 years,” Nuessly said. “Assuming full-time administrative duties as center director provides me the opportunity and responsibility to continue to serve all E-REC faculty and staff, UF, IFAS, and agricultural sciences throughout Florida and beyond.”

Nuessly earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California-Irvine in 1978, a master’s in entomology from the University of California-Riverside in 1981 and his Ph.D. in entomology from Texas A&M University in 1986. Nuessly joined UF following three years as a research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service in Brawley, Calif.

He has conducted pest management research on a range of insects associated with vegetables, sweet and field corn, sweet sorghum for biofuel, sugarcane and turfgrass.

Nuessly received the Distinguished Achievement Award in horticultural entomology from the Southeastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America for his research and extension program on controlling greenbug aphids on cool season turfgrasses.

He has written or co-authored 70 refereed publications, 140 peer-reviewed electronic publications and extension documents, six germplasm and cultivar releases for sweet corn, celery and turfgrass, and he has co-authored three book chapters.

Nuessly is actively involved with graduate student activities and committees in the Entomological Society of America and the Florida Entomological Society. He served as editor of the Journal of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists.

Nuessly replaced Rob Gilbert, who was named chair of the UF/IFAS agronomy department in 2013.

By Kimberly Moore Wilmoth, 352-294-3302, [email protected]

Sources: Gregg Nuessly, 561-993-1559, [email protected]

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