Dr. Begcy is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida. Dr. Begcy received his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and worked as a Research Scientist at the University of Regensburg, Germany.
Dr. Kim is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida. His research focuses on the mechanisms of stress tolerance and developmental transition in rice and maize. In his free time, Dr. Kim enjoys watching sports and playing guitar.
Dr. Egesa is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida. He is interested in molecular signaling during plant development and the interaction of development and stress responses in cereals. He is also an American Society of Plant Biology (ASPB) Ambassador. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton.
PH.D. Students
Kelvin D. Aloryi is a PhD student in Plant Breeding Graduate program. His current research focuses on improving heat stress tolerance in lettuce using molecular and genomic tools. Kelvin enjoys playing soccer and interacting with like-minded peers in his free time.
Carlos Florez is a Fulbright Ph.D. student in the Environmental Horticulture Department from Colombia. He is a microbiologist master's in Biology (Biotechnology) from the University of Antioquia, Colombia. Carlos is Interested in the application of omics and gene-editing technologies toward answering questions in crop improvement against biotic and abiotic stresses. He also finds it fascinating to study the cascade of information between genes and plant-specialized metabolites looking for diverse applications in agriculture, industry, and health. His long-term goal is to work in the bioprospection of genes in plants and microorganisms to improve human lives. In his spare time, he likes hiking, biking, and taking pictures.
Divya is a PhD student in the Environmental Horticulture Department. Her current research focuses on exploring the responses to increased temperatures during gametogenesis in maize and rice.
In her free time, she likes to enjoy gardening and painting.
Isabel is a Research Scientist in the Environmental Horticulture Department. Her current research focuses on developing methods that facilitate functional genomics studies. Isabel has more than 10 years of industry experience. In her free time, she likes to drink coffee.
Samantha is an Undergraduate Research Intern. She works under Divya’s mentorship on responses to increased temperatures in maize and rice. In her free time, she likes to spend time with friends and read.
