Undergraduate advising is a crucial component of student success at the University of Florida and in the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics (FRE). With the wide variety of career paths available to our students after graduation, it’s crucial to FRE that we have a dedicated advisor here to personalize the academic journey and set students up for success. That’s why we are thrilled to announce Trey Gifford as the newest member of our FRE staff!

In July, Gifford joined the department as our new undergraduate academic advisor.  In this role, Gifford works with undergraduate coordinator Misti Sharp to advise all of the students in our FRE major, as well as the five related minors: Agricultural & Natural Resource Law, Agricultural & Natural Resource Ethics, International Development and Humanitarian Assistance, Management and Sales in Agribusiness, and Food and Resource Economics.

“I am excited to begin this position because I love interacting with students and helping them reach their academic and professional goals,” Gifford said.

Gifford comes to us from Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, Indiana, where he served as an academic advisor. A University of Kentucky alumni, he has degrees in both marketing and communication.

Already, he has spent the last month leading preview sessions and meeting with students in the program. In the Fall, he will be co-teaching our introductory seminar course with professor and department chair Lisa House.

It has been great meeting with FRE students here at UF; they are so intelligent and hard-working! It helps make my job a lot more rewarding! I cannot wait to see what they are able to accomplish throughout their journey! – Trey Gifford

If you are a current FRE student and haven’t met with Trey yet or are interested in a change of major or adding a minor, stop by McCarty Hall A 1170 to say hi! Undergraduate advising appointments are available by email at FRE-Advising@ifas.ufl.edu.

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