Dr. Matthew Thomas
Institute Director
Matthew is from the UK and obtained his degrees from the University of Cardiff and the University of Southampton. He has held tenured positions at Imperial College London, CSIRO in Australia, the Centre for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Department of Entomology at Penn State University in the US, and most recently served as the Director of the York Environmental Sustainability Institute at the University of York in the UK. In late 2022 he returned to the US to take up the exciting new challenge of helping develop the Invasion Science Research Institute at the University of Florida.
He has experience researching a wide range of projects and problems on the ecology and control of insects and diseases. The work has encompassed a range of techniques and approaches from detailed studies in the laboratory through to large-scale field experiments in both temperate and tropical settings. He has published extensively (Google Scholar) but also has a strong focus on implementation and the development of practical solutions.
He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Entomological Society of America, and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Paul Evans
Research Coordinator
Paul is the Research Coordinator and collaborates with affiliated partners of ISRI and both internal and external boards to develop and produce necessary and exciting research. He focuses on community-based education and reporting initiatives, community ecology, and species distribution for terrestrial invasive species. He received his MSc. in Ecology and Conservation from the University of Aberdeen, and his bachelors from the University of South Florida.
His aims are to bridge knowledge gaps existing in the conservation field through wildlife education, scientific research, and public engagement. Previously he worked on a team of biologists working to improve the understanding of herpetofauna and crocodilians in South Florida, the Caribbean, and endangered mammals in Central America. He has aided in improving public perception and awareness of lesser studied species in Alaska, Scotland, and is excited to continue his work in Florida.
He serves as a Board member for the Florida Invasive Species Council (FISC), and is the Outreach Chair for the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ECISMA). Additionally, he sits on several task teams and committees regionally including SEPARC, NECISMA, and FCISWG.
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