The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has announced that it will sunset its Environmental Horticulture Department, but emphasized that this change will not result in any program cuts, layoffs, or changes to student preparation for careers in the industry. According to UF/IFAS, contact information for faculty and staff will remain the same, including for new hires Dr. Jeb Fields (nursery crop management), Dr. Yuyao Kong (controlled environment production), and Dr. Uttara Samarkoon (controlled environment agriculture).
In a statement from UF/IFAS: “No programs get cut, including the many that are focused on ornamental plants. No one gets laid off. No one stops preparing students for future careers in the industry.”
The university clarified that this is not a mission change or a budget cut. Faculty members will move to other departments as their academic home, which is intended to foster greater collaboration with colleagues whose expertise aligns more closely with theirs.
“This administrative evolution will better serve the interests of Florida Farm Bureau Federation producers in key ways,” UF/IFAS stated.
Faculty who work on specific topics such as trees may benefit from joining departments where there are more experts working in related fields. This shift could also enhance support by providing horticulture faculty access to larger teams and resources across multiple disciplines.
Staff migrating to new departments are expected to scale up efforts supporting faculty so experts can dedicate more time to research and teaching.
Additionally, being part of larger or different departments may connect faculty with broader funding opportunities beyond those exclusive to ornamentals. Distributing environmental horticulture courses across various departments might also help attract more students who might not have otherwise encountered these classes.
UF/IFAS indicated that information about new departmental homes for affected faculty will be available in early 2026, but stressed that wherever they go, their focus on providing science-based support for Florida’s green industries will continue.
