In Florida, growers are reeling from the extensive damage to their crop by citrus greening disease. From his lab and experimental fields at Lake Alfred – in the heart of Florida’s citrus belt – Nian Wang studies ways to prevent further harm to the state’s signature crop.

Mingyi Xie is recognized as a national and international leader in non-coding, RNA-mediated gene regulation. Since joining UF in 2016, his lab has focused on normal regulation and misregulation of microRNA levels and modifications of small nuclear RNAs.

Lily Elefteriadou has made significant contributions to advances in the transportation sector. An international leader in transportation engineering, her research focuses on groundbreaking work in critical areas such as signal control optimization, highway capacity analysis and traffic management using advanced transportation technologies. Elefteriadou’s work has contributed extensively to understanding and managing transportation systems.

Laura Ellis is a professor of organ and carillon and associate director of the School of Music. She teaches courses in sacred music and applied lessons in organ, harpsichord and carillon. Her research falls into two areas: organ performance and carillon performance. While not the sole focus, much of her research and performing includes representation of women composers.

Mariola Ferraro strives to make a positive impact on public health by developing therapies and preventive approaches against Gram-negative infections. Such infections resist multiple treatments, including most available antibiotics.

Daniel Ferris is a leading authority in human locomotion. As the director of the Human Neuromechanics Laboratory, his research focuses on unraveling the biomechanics and neural control mechanisms that govern human movement.

David Fuller develops new treatments for diseases that impair the ability to breathe. A professor in the College of Public Health and Health Professions’ Department of Physical Therapy, he also works on understanding how the brain and spinal cord control respiratory muscles.

Frank C. Gibson III has spent more than 25 years studying the process of disease development and how pathogens interact with their hosts. Gibson’s primary area of research addresses host-pathogen interactions involving a bacterium that plays a crucial role in periodontal disease. Gibson’s research aims to understand microbial factors and host-response mechanisms that could lead to vaccinations or other novel treatments.

Charlie Hailey is an architect, writer and professor who specializes in emergent built environments – in other words, those in the early stages of development. His interdisciplinary projects seek to tell the stories of marginal places, understand cultural landscapes and discover links between human agency, settlement patterns, and ecology.

Jillian Hernandez is considered a leading expert on many aspects of modern life, including contemporary art, popular culture, fashion and the politics of beauty. Her work concentrates on the experiences of Black and Latinx communities, elucidating how these communities negotiate gender, race, sexuality and class relations.