Meet the Team
Robert Gilbert
Interim Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources
Jeanna Mastrodicasa
Senior Associate Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources
Adegbola Adesogan
Associate Vice President
Meena Thiyagarajah
Associate Vice President of Finance and Administration
Meena leads financial management, fiscal and sponsored program administration for IFAS. The units ensure robust financial oversight, management of sponsored programs, and compliance with federal, state, and university regulations and policies, thereby safeguarding the integrity and effectiveness of IFAS’ financial and research operations.
John Davis
Interim Dean of Research
John leads the research enterprise at UF/IFAS, supporting faculty in Gainesville and at our research and education centers who address challenges facing agriculture, natural resources, and human systems. He also oversees operations at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit and the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station.
Melissa Long
Executive Director of Human Resources
Melissa has been employed with UF since 2003 and currently leads the UF/IFAS Human Resources team. She has served in similar roles beginning at UF HR, College of Dentistry and UF Advancement. Melissa is a Gator grad and avid sports fan, so you’ll find her at various Gator fields throughout the year.
Benita Bannis
Director of Workforce Development
Andrew Carey
Director of Information Technology
Andrew leads the IFAS Information Technology team, and focuses on ensuring that IFAS faculty, staff and students have access to the IT tools they need to fulfill the IFAS mission. Since starting at UF in 2004, Andrew has held various IT roles in Business Affairs, UFIT, and the IFAS Information Technology Server Administration and Helpdesk Teams. In his free time, Andrew enjoys traveling and being outdoors with his family.