معرفی
Norman A. Douglas is an Associate Instructional Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida (UF), within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from Duke University (2007) and specializes in plant systematics and phylogeography. As Undergraduate Coordinator for Botany, Zoology, and Marine Science majors, he advises students and teaches courses such as Plants in Human Affairs, Evolution, and Desert Biodiversity Immersion. His research focuses on rare plant species conservation, gypsum-adapted flora of the Chihuahuan Desert, and Nyctaginaceae family systematics.
Dr. Douglas collaborates on projects involving genetic analyses of edaphic endemics like Pyxidanthera brevifolia, Lilium pyrophilum, and Astragalus michauxii, and leads the Desert Biodiversity Immersion course, exploring southwestern U.S. ecosystems. He engages undergraduates in microsatellite marker development and phylogenetic studies, emphasizing fieldwork and lab-based research.
His publications span over 15 years, addressing topics such as gypsum flora evolution, medullary bundle diversity in Nyctaginaceae, and plastid phylogenomics of Caryophyllales. He advocates for modern microsatellite techniques through influential reviews and contributes to taxonomic revisions of plant families. Advising is conducted via Zoom, with a focus on student-driven research opportunities in ecology and conservation.
