Joseph Funderburk

Joe Funderburk is a professor in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida headquartered at the North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy, Florida. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Louisiana Tech University. Studying for his Ph.D. under the advisement of Dr. Larry Pedigo at Iowa State University, he developed a primary interest in integrated pest management.

At the University of Florida, Dr. Funderburk develops and implements ecologically based management systems that are economical for agricultural producers and environmentally friendly. He is especially focused on developing sustainable tactics that promote biodiversity in the agroecosystem. He is a specialist in the ecology, taxonomy and management of the Thysanoptera (thrips) and the thrips-vectored plant diseases.

Dr. Funderburk received an Honor Award for Excellence from the United States Department of Agriculture for his work in integrated pest management of thrips. He is an International Fellow at the University of Florida for his efforts in implementing integrated pest management worldwide and for his research on thrips in the Neotropics.