Category: Work & Life

SWES Faculty, Staff, and Student Recognized with Superior Accomplishment Awards

by Mike Loizzo
February 4, 2026

The Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES) is proud to celebrate three outstanding members of our community. All three represent UF/IFAS in different ways, but each demonstrates exceptional service worthy of a 2026 Superior ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS, Work & Life
Tags: Brittney Monus, Emily Colson, P. Chris Wilson, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Superior Accomplishment Award

Remembering a Global Soil Scientist Whose Life’s Work Helped Feed the World

by Mike Loizzo
January 13, 2026

Dr. Pedro A. Sánchez, an internationally renowned soil scientist, visionary leader and tireless advocate for food security, passed away Monday morning, Jan. 12, 2026. He was 85. Born Oct. 7, 1940, in Cuba, Sánchez grew up on his family’s ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS
Tags: Agroforestry, Cheryl Palm, Federal University Of Lavras, Jack Payne, Pedro Sanchez, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, World Food Prize

UF/IFAS for Your Soil and Water Testing Needs — Science You Can Trust

by Mike Loizzo
August 24, 2025

When it comes to caring for your yard or garden, accuracy and expertise matter. The UF/IFAS Extension Soil Testing Laboratory (ESTL) provides precision, reliability, and support to make a difference in your soil management. The ESTL offers a ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: Extension Soil Testing Lab, Franta Majs, IFAS Analytical Service Laboratories, Landscaping, Lawn, Nutrient Management, Soil Fertility, Soil Health, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Turfgrass

Dr. Matt Whiles delivers more than food through Meals on Wheels program

by Mike Loizzo
October 24, 2024

For more than a year, Dr. Matt Whiles, professor and chair of the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, has spent his lunch breaks doing something a little different from his typical academic work—delivering meals ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers
Tags: Matt Whiles, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Volunteering

Exploring Andorra: Soil and Water Sciences at High Elevation

by Mike Loizzo
August 4, 2024

Since earning his M.S. degree a year ago from the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, Anthony Halcyon has been eyeing ways to grow as a scientist and expand his scope of understanding in this field. In doing so, Anthony ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water, Work & Life
Tags: Andorra, Anthony Bolesta, Anthony Halcyon, Conservation, EarthWatch, EMANR, Environmental Management In Agriculture And Natural Resources, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

Compost Cooperative marks 15-years of sustainability, education, and community engagement

by Mike Loizzo
July 18, 2024

When Dr. Ann Wilkie created the UF Student Compost Cooperative (SCC) in 2009, her goal was to promote sustainability at the campus level. Over the next 15 years, the SCC grew to welcome the wider UF community. It also provided garden plots for ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life
Tags: Ann Wilkie, BioEnergy And Sustainable Technology Lab, Compost Cooperative And Gardens, Composting, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sustainability, UF Student Compost Cooperative

UF study reveals environmental impact of artificial sweeteners

by Megan Winslow
July 8, 2024

The human body’s inability to break down sucralose, an artificial sweetener found in many zero-calorie food and drink products, is well established by scientific research. The compound is so stable that it escapes wastewater treatment processing ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Algae, Amelia Westmoreland, Aquatic Biology, Aquatic Environment, Artificial Sweetener, Bacteria, Biology, Cyanobacteria, Diatom, Ecosystem, Envionrmental, Environment, Environmental Impact, Environmental Impacts, Food Chain, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Marine, Megan Winslow, Microbial Communities, Microbial Respiration, Nutrient, Photosynthesis, Soil, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sucralose, Tracey Schafer, UF, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Wastewater, Water And Ecosystem Sciences Department, Whitney Laboratory For Marine Bioscience, Zero-calorie

Gators 4 Mercy: A Journey in Water Security with Water 4 Mercy

by Mike Loizzo
February 28, 2024

As a graduate student at the University of Florida in 2021, Anthony Halcyon saw a local news segment that he credits for changing the trajectory of his academic and humanitarian endeavors as a scientist. It showcased the impactful work of Water ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Anthony Bolesta, Anthony Halcyon, Humanitarian, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Water

New UF/IFAS publication: Managing impacts of flooding, groundwater rise on septic systems

by Mike Loizzo
January 16, 2024

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates the state has more than 2 million septic systems. If an owner does not properly maintain one, it poses an environmental threat to the state’s drinking water. Besides regular maintenance, ... READ MORE

Category: Disaster Preparation, Home Management, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Flooding, Groundwater Level Rise, Mary Lusk, Septic Systems, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

Remembering Peter Nkedi-Kizza, professor emeritus

by Mike Loizzo
June 15, 2023

Dr. Peter Nkedi-Kizza passed away on June 10, 2023, at the age of 80 in Gainesville, Fla. He was a successful professor of soil physics and hydrology with the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES) for 38 years. During ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life
Tags: Peter Nkedi-Kizza, Soil Physics, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

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