Research Interests:

James P. Cuda is an Associate Professor in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and a consultant to the University’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. His research deals with key elements of classical biological control of aquatic and terrestrial weeds, including foreign exploration, host specificity testing, and release/evaluation of promising natural enemies of exotic weeds that have invaded Florida and threaten the southeastern United States. He is a member of the SD-1034 regional project, “Biological Control of Arthropod Pests and Weeds” and is an extension specialist for biological control of insect pests and weeds in Florida. Cuda received his B.S. (1973) and M.S. (1976) degrees in zoology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and a Ph.D. in entomology from Texas A&M University (1983). He was a Quarantine Officer in the Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station (1982-1983), and a postdoctoral research entomologist in biological weed control at the USDA’s Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory, Temple, Texas (1984-1987). From 1987 to 1990, Cuda was Director of the Plant Methods Development Program at the USDA’s Biological Control Facility, Bozeman, Montana. He was appointed to the federal interagency Technical Advisory Group on the Introduction of Biological Control Agents of Weeds (1988-1990), and was a co-developer of the USDA’s National Biological Control Institute. Cuda has authored or co-authored more than 100 scientific publications, given more than 90 presentations at international, national, regional and local conferences, and is on the editorial boards of two scientific journals. He is a member of the Entomological Society of America, International Weed Science Society, Weed Science Society of America and is past- Chair of WSSA’s Biological Control Committee. Cuda also is member of the Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society, the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, International Organization for Biological Control, Florida Entomological Society, Florida Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals, and the UF/IFAS Invasive Plant Working Group.