Get to know… is a feature for UF/IFAS CREC social media. In it, we get to know one of the faculty, staff or students working at UF/IFAS CREC. Angela Chuang is a postdoctoral fellow working in Lauren Diepenbrock’s lab. Angela earned a B.Sc. at the University of California, Berkeley. She shared that despite being somewhat entomophobic and very arachnophobic, the classes there sparked an interest in insect/arachnid ecology and behavior, leading her to complete a concentration in entomology.
She then earned a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), where she was interested in the personality composition of invaders across different invasion stages and between native and invasive ranges. All of this to say that she has a background in spiders and has traveled the world looking for them, including a few international expeditions during her gap year.
She was also a National Geographic Young Explorer and reviews science board games for the journal Science.
When did you start working/studying at CREC?
August 2020.
What are your responsibilities at CREC?
As a postdoc in the Diepenbrock Lab, I am assisting in the data collection, analysis, and write-up of various projects. My main project seeks to enhance windbreak systems around citrus groves with additional plants that can improve floral and shelter resources to the natural enemies of citrus pests as well as citrus pollinators. I am also investigating how spatial connectivity of hedgerows from Florida to Georgia facilitate the arthropod movement.
I also look forward to future opportunities in Extension, science communication, and student mentorship.
What are you really proud about working at CREC?
It seems like a very supportive, collaborative environment!
What is the most rewarding part of your experience?
Learning more about the natural world and learning new skills.
What is your favorite type of citrus?
I’m a big fan of seedless California mandarins!
(Editor’s note: Angela has yet to taste some of this season’s delicious Florida grown Sugar Belle mandarins! We hope to make her a new fan.)
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Anywhere in the tropics—French Polynesia really looks like a tropical paradise, for instance.
What is your favorite thing to cook/eat?
Grilled cheese is my favorite comfort food and I’ll eat it any day.
If you could invite three people to share a meal with, who would it be (other than family)?
David Attenborough, E. O. Wilson, Greta Thunberg
Do you have a favorite movie? Book?
Leon The Professional (International edition—that’s important)
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