Robert Gilbert, who has served the past six months as University of Florida interim senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, will serve in a full leadership role for at least another 18 months.
Gilbert has served as UF/IFAS research dean and interim senior vice president while Scott Angle has worked as UF interim provost, a role to which he has now been permanently appointed.
Until today’s announcement by President Ben Sasse, both were serving in dual capacities. Gilbert will now take on the responsibility of leading UF/IFAS through at least mid-2025.
“I am gratified to have the confidence from President Sasse and Dr. Angle to continue to lead UF/IFAS,” Gilbert said. “Ultimately, I’ll measure success in part by the extent to which I gain and maintain the confidence of our teams and stakeholders across Florida. I remain committed to open and honest communication, service, collaboration and investing in our relationships to benefit all.”
As research dean, Gilbert leads an office that provides administrative support for 558 faculty with research appointments statewide. During his tenure as dean, UF/IFAS has significantly increased research expenditures—now at a record $300 million – No. 1 in the nation in research expenditures on agriculture, natural resources and conservation.
UF/IFAS also has seen record fellow nominations for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), through the dedication to honorifics and recognizing scholarship.
Gilbert was appointed dean in 2019 after working for four years as chair of the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department.
Prior to that, Gilbert worked his way up the faculty ranks, breeding sugarcane at the UF/IFAS Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade, where he eventually became center director.
Gilbert earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M in 1996, his master’s from the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in 1992 and a bachelor’s from Carleton College in 1985.
Gilbert said he’s confident the immediate leadership transition at UF/IFAS will be smooth. He has worked closely with Angle in the six months since he handed him most UF/IFAS leadership responsibilities.
“Let us work together in 2024 to build upon Dr. Angle’s vision and embrace the transition as an opportunity to cultivate new ideas to increase our impact,” Gilbert said.
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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