Administration

To report potential legal, policy, or ethical conduct violations or concerns, please use the University of Florida Compliance Hotline.

Business Services

Jana Barnash

Associate Director of Operations

(352) 514-7742

Jana Barnash manages the administrative and bookstore operations at ICS. Jana holds a BAS from Santa Fe College in Health Services Administration, and her career at UF includes work with Human Resources and UF Health. She is dedicated to streamlining processes and her work has been recognized with a Davis Productivity Award and a Superior Accomplishment Award. She enjoys time spent with family, travel, and board games.

Colleen Rosenberg

Administrative Specialist

(352) 294-3332

Colleen Rosenberg is the heart of administrative operations at ICS. She holds a BS in Communications from Ohio University and her background includes work with JP Morgan Chase in customer service, coaching new hires, participating in the manager-in-training program, and conducting corporate training. Outside of work, Colleen is passionate about fitness and her family.

Hope Norman

Administrative Support Assistant II

(352) 294-3320

Hope Norman has been a part of the ICS team for 22 years. She works as an editorial assistant for the EDIS editors and is an Administrative assistant II with the admin team.

Sheila Vasconcelos

Administrative Assistant

(352) 294-3301

Sheila Vasconcelos is an administrative assistant who helps keep the ICS team operating smoothly. She enjoys working with ICS where she gets the best of both worlds. She puts her great passions and degrees, a BS in Public Relations and Communication and an AS in Office Administration, into practice on a daily basis.

Bookstore

General Customer Assistance | (352) 392-1764 or (800) 226-1764

Jana Barnash

Associate Director of Operations

(352) 514-7742

Jana Barnash manages the administrative and bookstore operations at ICS. Jana holds a BAS from Santa Fe College in Health Services Administration, and her career at UF includes work with Human Resources and UF Health. She is dedicated to streamlining processes and her work has been recognized with a Davis Productivity Award and a Superior Accomplishment Award. She enjoys time spent with family, travel, and board games.

Sarah Hensley

Bookstore Manager

(352) 392-1764

Sarah E. Hensley handles operations for the IFAS Bookstore with over 20 years in retail management. She holds a BA (English) from the University of Florida and an MS (Library & Information Sciences) from Florida State University. She enjoys reading, gaming, and building LEGO sets.

Rolando Negron

Acquisitions Editor

(352) 294-3304

Rolando Negron is the acquisitions editor for UF/IFAS Communications. He holds a B.S. in Biology and a M.Ed. His career includes work as a field biologist, science teacher, instructional technologist, and school administrator. He's passionate about science inquiry and an avid endurance sports enthusiast.

Branding Help

Tracy Bryant

Director of Creative Services

(352) 294-3319

Tracy Bryant holds a bachelor's in advertising from the University of South Florida. Since 1996, she's been a visual designer with diverse branding experience in direct mail, marketing, print, and higher education. Tracy is currently the Director of Creative Services at UF/IFAS Communications, University of Florida. In this role, she manages a team of creatives and shapes UF/IFAS' visual identity for Florida audiences.

EDIS / Publication Editing

Diana Hagan

Information Management Specialist

352-294-3315

Diana Hagan manages UF/IFAS Extension’s peer-reviewed publications and their online platforms. She has a master’s in Latin from UF and a master’s in Library & Information Science from USF. She enjoys fiber arts and word games.

Susan Gildersleeve

EDIS Editor

(352) 294-3318

Susan Gildersleeve edits for Ask IFAS. She has a BA in English from UF and an MFA in fiction from the University of Iowa. Susan's newest pastime is darning socks, a perfect hobby for a perfectionist because there's no punishing learning curve: no matter how unskilled the darner, the sock will always be improved after darning. Plus, you can make beautiful plaid darns. So satisfying!

Gillian McGuire

EDIS Editor

(352) 294-3317

Gillian McGuire works alongside authors to copyedit and publish their research on Ask IFAS and the EDIS journal. Gillian graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, specializing in children's literature and in religion. She enjoys reading, nature-walking, caring for indoor plants, and roller-skating.

Amanda Quintos

EDIS Editor

(352) 294-3305

Amanda Quintos edits UF/IFAS peer-reviewed publications for the EDIS journal and Ask IFAS. She also writes blog posts for Blogs.IFAS.

Hope Norman

Editorial Assistant

(352) 294-3320

Hope Norman has been a part of the ICS team for 22 years. She works as an editorial assistant for the EDIS editors and is an Administrative assistant II with the admin team.

Heidy Ramirez

Spanish Communication Specialist

(352) 273-3567

Heidy Ramirez is the Spanish editor for EDIS / AskIFAS and supports Diana Hagan in the management of the journal. She is a graduated journalist with a specialization in Corporate Communication. Her career includes environmental journalism, media monitoring and strategic communication consulting. In her free time, she likes to write short stories and poetry. Quote: "Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude."

Graphics Design/Accessibility Services

Tracy Bryant

Director of Creative Services

(352) 294-3319

Tracy Bryant holds a bachelor's in advertising from the University of South Florida. Since 1996, she's been a visual designer with diverse branding experience in direct mail, marketing, print, and higher education. Tracy is currently the Director of Creative Services at UF/IFAS Communications, University of Florida. In this role, she manages a team of creatives and shapes UF/IFAS' visual identity for Florida audiences.

Heather Griffith

OPS Graphic Designer

Heather Griffith is a part-time Graphic Designer and Illustrator at ICS. She has an Associate of Science degree in Graphic Design and has been working as a Graphic Designer for 14 years. Heather firmly believes in teamwork and workplace community. Outside of work, Heather loves working out, reading and spending time with her husband and three children.

Leah Welch

Graphic Designer

(352) 294-3321

Leah Welch is a member of the ICS graphic design team, creating everything from logos and infographics to brochures and banners. She started her design education with an A.S. from Santa Fe College and went on to gain a B.F.A. from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Before landing at UF/IFAS, she was in-house at the Alachua County Library District and the Florida Museum. Leah spends much of her free time moving between artistic fixations and shooing her cat Olive off her computer keyboard.

Michele Wood

Graphic Designer

(352) 294-3322

Michele Wood is a graphic designer specializing in overall layout and production design for advertisements, brochures, magazines, reports, etc. Her newest challenge in the ever-changing industry is creating ADA-compliant digital pieces. Her work has been recognized by Graphic Design USA and the Association for Communication Excellence. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and cheering on the Gators.

Courtney McGillicuddy

Accessibility Document Specialist

(352) 294-3324

Courtney McGillicuddy remediates documents to ensure ADA compliance, making them accessible by assistive technology and available to a wider audience. She earned a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Florida and began working part-time at ICS during undergrad before being hired as the Accessibility Document Specialist shortly after graduating. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and creative writing.

Media Relations

Chris Vivian

Associate Vice President

(727) 644-5791

Chris Vivian manages the ICS team to tell the UF/IFAS story to audiences all over Florida. Chris holds a BS from UF’s College of Journalism and Communications, and her career includes work in science non-profits like the American Heart Association and National Forensic Science Technology Center. Her work has been recognized by the Public Relations Society of America, the American Marketing Association, Communicator Awards and more. She has a cat named Daisy and sings in the Gainesville Master Chorale.

Luz Bahder

Public Relations Specialist, Spanish

(954) 994-8316

Luz Bahder is part of the ICS Spanish language outreach initiative. As a public relations specialist, she translates and transcreates content created by ICS into Spanish. Originally from Costa Rica with a master's degree in tropical biology, she is passionate about communicating science into relevant content for consumers. Luz draws from her heritage and academic training to promote content across Spanish-speaking media.

Meredith Bauer

Senior Public Relations Specialist

(352) 294-3303

Meredith Bauer is the media liaison for the Central Florida media markets for UF/IFAS Communications. She also handles hurricane communications for the department. She is a University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications alumna and was a journalist for more than a decade before joining UF/IFAS. She is also an adjunct instructor at the UF journalism school. She lives in Gainesville with her son and two cats.

Brad Buck

Senior Public Relations Specialist, Southwest Region

(656) 347-8422

Brad manages UF/IFAS news to media outlets in Southwest Florida. He earned a BS and MA, both from the UF College of Journalism and Communications. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and editor, radio and TV reporter and assignment editor. Brad's work has been recognized by the Association for Communication Excellence. He has two dogs, loves the Gators and solving crossword puzzles.

Lourdes Mederos

Public Relations Manager, Southeast Region

(954) 577-6363

Lourdes Mederos lives and breathes South Florida and her Cuban roots. As an ICS public relations manager, she promotes research advances and programs led by faculty in southeast Florida. She also leads an ICS Spanish outreach initiative team to connect UF/IFAS science with Spanish-speaking audiences. A USF alum with bachelor's degrees in journalism and English literature led her to her first career as a bilingual journalist.

Megan Winslow

Public Relations Specialist

(352) 294-3313

Megan is the media liaison for the North Florida media markets for UF/IFAS Communications. She also acts as the government liaison. She is a University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications alumna and worked as a journalist – primarily as a reporter and photographer -- in Florida and California for more than a decade before joining UF/IFAS. She lives in Gainesville with her husband and dog.  

Tory Moore

Marketing and Communications Specialist

(407) 608-8164

Tory manages ICS project traffic in Workfront and develops campaigns to support UF/IFAS strategic communications priorities. She's most passionate about improving user experiences and helping clients meet their goals. When not playing traffic control in Workfront or helping clients develop successful marketing campaigns, Tory can be found chasing around her three kids, riding her horse or enjoying Orlando’s theme parks.

Photography

Tyler Jones

Photographer

(352) 294-3764

A Masters graduate in Mass Communications from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and a Bachelors degree in International Relations and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia, Tyler has been an ICS photographer since 2007. He is proud to serve IFAS by visually documenting IFAS research and innovation.

Cat Wofford

Photographer

(334) 488-9769

Cat is a 2019 graduate of Auburn University with a degree in studio art photography, though her photo background began with sports. Cat began photographing JV sports during her freshman year of high school and never put down the camera. An IFAS photographer since the fall of 2021, Cat enjoys documenting UF research and Florida's natural resources.

Social Media

Aaron Alexander

Social Media Manager

(352) 294-3308

Aaron manages the UF/IFAS flagship social media channels and provides support for all unit accounts. He uses his knowledge of online trends and social media platforms to work with ICS creative teams to create content that cuts through the noise on social. Aaron holds two bachelor's degrees from Western Carolina University (Marketing & Entrepreneurship). Before ICS, he helped small farms improve their online presence.

Dale Boettcher

Social Media Specialist

(352) 294-3309 

Dale is a proud Michigan native who now calls the Sunshine State home. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University. Before joining UF/IFAS Communications, Dale gained valuable experience as a professional photographer. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, which includes four sisters and a twin brother. Dale also loves stand-up paddleboarding at the local springs and playing pickleball.

Maddy Stoutamire

STAS Social Media Assistant

Madelyn Stoutamire serves as the Student Social Media Assistant for UF/IFAS. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida, majoring in Agricultural Education and Communications with a focus on Communication and Leadership Development. In addition to her major, she is also working towards minors in Dance and Agricultural and Natural Resource Law. Madelyn is from Marianna, FL. Madelyn's long-term aspiration is to attend law school and work as a lobbyist advocating for the farmers and ranchers in her community. In her free time, she enjoys activities like dancing, shopping, fishing, and hunting. 

Web Services

Dr. Tennille Herron

Web Services Manager

(904) 323-1690

Tennille is a Florida native with over two decades of digital experience. She has a doctorate degree in technology and systems management. At IFAS Communications, Tennille oversees and provides strategic direction for the UF/IFAS digital presence and manages the day-to-day operations for the UF/IFAS Web Services Team. Together, their work provides central support to bloggers and web builders throughout Florida. She loves to explore botanical gardens whenever she travels.

Shirley De Leon

Online Community Manager

Shirley De Leon is the Online Community Manager for Web Services at UF/IFAS Communications. She develops strategies that help subject matter experts elevate their content to reach a wider audience. She has earned a B.S. in Journalism and a M.S. in Health Education and Behavior from UF. Her work experience includes 3 years in blogging and 4 years in web. She loves to try new recipes with her air fryer and listen to music.

Vacant

Web Developer

Bio coming soon...

Jennifer Hugus

Web Developer

(352) 294-3311

Jennifer Hugus is a Web Developer and Trainer for the UF/IFAS Web Services Team. She has over 20 years of web development experience, and holds a M.Ed from the University of Florida in Instruction and Curriculum / Educational Technology. She performs front-end web development in TerminalFour and helps with system issues. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys gardening, growing African Violets and raising tropical fish.

Danyel Boudreau

Digital Analytics Specialist 

Danyel provides website analytics services and dashboard management for UF/IFAS. She holds an MBA from the University of Florida with a specialization in Information Systems and Operations Managment. When she's not working, Danyel enjoys family time, volunteering, and art. 

Frank Samandari

Web Training Specialist

(352) 294-3323

A background in broadcast journalism enables Frank to effectively communicate with diverse audiences and across a variety of platforms. In his spare time, Frank enjoys performing music; participating in community theatre; nature excursions; visiting art and cultural venues; pleasure reading and creative writing; volunteering; and building special memories with friends and family.

Thomas Zapor

Web Developer

(352) 294-3312

Thomas Zapor is a Web Developer and Programmer for UF/IFAS Web Services. His primary role is developing the code behind UF/IFAS web sites, building custom database web applications and creating custom frontend modules for web sites. He has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Central Florida. Away from the keyboard, Thomas enjoys wildlife photography while exploring the many state parks of North-Central Florida.

Video Services

Al Williamson

Video Production Manager

(352) 294-3759

Al Williamson is the Video Production Manager with IFAS Communications Video. After earning a Telecommunications degree from UF, he worked in a motion picture film lab and in TV news before joining UF/IFAS in 1986. Al has produced numerous videos with UF/IFAS, from educational videos, to public service announcements to nature themed productions recorded throughout the state and even an aerobics video.

Alex Johnson

Video Producer

(352) 294-3760

Alex is a video producer with IFAS Communications. He attended the University of Florida, studying Film & Media Studies and Telecommunications Production as an undergrad, and later earning an MA in Documentary Studies. Alex worked for over a decade creating video content focused on wildlife conservation. He believes the visual medium is a powerful tool for inspiring change by using compelling storytelling to educate audiences on important issues. Outside of work, Alex enjoys traveling, connecting with animals, playing tennis and soccer, heading to the cinema, and rocking out at concerts.

Bill Kelsey

Educational Video Producer

(352) 294-3763

Bill Kelsey’s work as an ICS video producer has him showcasing IFAS research, education and Extension through writing scripts, shooting and editing video, and performing voiceover narrations Bill is an FAA-certified drone pilot who has become proficient at shooting video from aloft by completing a drone cinematography master course, then practicing maneuvers during some 50 hours of flight time.

COMING SOON

Video Producer