Collaborators & Faculty
The REON Team
Meet the specialists, investigators, and regional groups who drive the Huanglongbing Research & Extension Output Network forward.
University of California, Davis
Davis, California
Core Responsibilities:
Data curation and analysis: The team leads the processing and organization of research information, identifying the key parameters that have shaped HLB research over the past 15 years to make findings clearer and more accessible to the public.
Connecting growers: The team brings California growers together to share insights and guidance on HLB research findings. By making this information more accessible, they foster collaboration and support the development of shared strategies to better manage the disease.
Group Personnel
Professor, Quantitative Biology & Epidemiology
Director, Western Plant Diagnostic Network
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Citrus Center, Weslaco, Texas
Core Responsibilities:
Processing research outputs: The Texas team plays a key role in processing outputs from HLB-related research projects, contributing essential information to build the database and support the development of other decision-making tools.
Engaging stakeholders: Texas A&M Kingsville also serves as a vital link between the database and growers, industry stakeholders, and other partners across Texas, actively encouraging their participation in surveys, activities, and ongoing dialogue to ensure that research efforts remain grounded in real-world needs.
Group Personnel
Assistant Professor, Entomology
Purdue University
Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Services (CERIS), West Lafayette, Indiana
Core Responsibilities:
Database architecture and system integration: The team handles the fundamental engineering of the platform, driving high-level technical decisions and designing the core database structures required to seamlessly organize multi-institution data mining operations.
Service hosting and full-cycle development: Serving as the technical backbone, the team creates the software code from the ground up, deploys and hosts the secure collaborative platform, and manages system infrastructure to ensure high availability and consistent uptime for stakeholders across the network.
Group Personnel
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Core Responsibilities:
Designing and leading project evaluation: The team leads the design and implementation of formative and summative evaluation activities, providing ongoing assessment that informs decision-making and drives continuous project improvement.
Engaging growers and supporting outreach: The team collaborates to establish an advisory group, develop extension materials, conduct interviews, pilot tests, and surveys to identify knowledge gaps in HLB management and ensure the project remains responsive to growers' needs.
Group Personnel
Associate Professor, Program Evaluation
Data Processing Assistant
University of Florida, Institue of Food and Agricultural Sciences
Citrus Research Education Center (CREC), Lake Alfred, Florida
Core Responsibilities:
Curating and processing research information: As the home institution of the REON project, CREC leads the curation of information gathered from grants, grant reports, peer-reviewed papers, extension publications, and other HLB-related sources, ensuring that data is accurate, reliable, and useful for growers, industry members, researchers, and other stakeholders.
Driving collaboration and outreach: The team applies its expertise to standardize the vocabulary used across HLB research, engage growers and stakeholders through advisory committees, and develop high-quality extension materials. As Florida remains the most affected citrus-producing state, CREC plays a central role in ensuring the project's activities have a meaningful and lasting impact on the local citrus industry.
Group Personnel
Professor, Plant Pathology and Extension Specialist
Associate Professor, Entomology
Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Professor, Horticultural Sciences and Citrus Extension Specialist
Biological Scientist IV
Chemist III
Field/Lab technician
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Plant Pathology and Entomology