UWF’s Dr. Wade Jeffrey recognized by ScholarGPS as Highly Ranked Scholar

Distinguished University of West Florida biology professor Dr. Wade Jeffrey has earned global recognition with a ranking by ScholarGPS. The academic ranking platform named Jeffrey a Highly Ranked Scholar, placing him in the top .05% worldwide in the field of life sciences. Scholars are recognized for their significant contributions to research, as measured by publication count, citations and h-index.

“It was a very nice surprise, and I am honored to be recognized. Our work is interdisciplinary and could not be accomplished without my expert colleagues and collaborators,” said Jeffrey, who also serves as the director of the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation and director of the Reubin O’D. Askew Institute of Multidisciplinary Studies.

Jeffrey is an oceanographer focusing on bacterial function and diversity in the ocean. He studies the effects of ultraviolet radiation on marine microbes and has worked around the globe, including 15 trips to Antarctica. He was also heavily involved with projects examining the effects of oil on microbial communities in the Gulf of Mexico, spawned by the 2010 BP oil spill.

A UWF faculty member since 1991, he has taught many courses, including Biological Oceanography, Climate Change Biology and Professional Development in Biology. Jeffrey has raised more than $8 million in outside funding for research projects that involved him, other faculty members and students. He has authored 120 publications, and his research has garnered global attention.

“Dr. Jeffrey’s recognition as a Highly Ranked Scholar by ScholarGPS reflects the exceptional quality of research and scholarship we’ve come to expect from our faculty at UWF,” said Dr. Rodney Guttmann, interim chair of UWF’s Department of Biology. “His decades of dedicated work in marine science, from the Gulf of Mexico to Antarctica, exemplifies the kind of impactful research that advances our understanding of critical environmental issues. We’re proud to have Dr. Jeffrey as a valued member of our academic community and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition.”

Jeffrey earned a Ph.D. and an M.S. Marine Science from the University of South Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

ScholarGPS ranking system is based on over 200 million publications and more than 30 million scholars from 55,000 institutions worldwide.

For more information on the ranking, visit scholargps.com.

To learn more about the UWF Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, visit uwf.edu/cedb.

For more information about the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering, visit uwf.edu/hmcse.