UF/IFAS News: Researchers launch AI startup; new residence hall honors trailblazing scientist, AI center groundbreaking Nov. 7

A message from UF/IFAS Communications | Reply For the week beginning October 20, 2025 TIMELY NEWS Get Ready for Halloween—IFAS Style! Halloween might be all about costumes and candy, but there’s more to celebrate this fall season. From all things pumpkins and poisonous plants to bats, snakes, stinky mushrooms and fall-favorite plants, UF/IFAS offers a spooky selection of science-based resources to help you enjoy the season. Thinking about what to do with those carved pumpkins, curious about misunderstood wildlife and other creepy crawlers, or just enjoying the season with a deeper appreciation for Florida’s fall ecosystem? We've got you covered. Need an expert? Contact us. Recent research, programs, events and more. We can help you cover and localize news to your area; just use the contact links below or reply to this email. With startup, researchers plan to help growers feed more people, preserve environment UF scientists Nathan Boyd and Arnold Schumann are turning research into real-world impact through EZ Ag Innovations. This tech, patented and licensed by UF, helps farmers reduce pesticide use, save labor, and increase crop yield, one smart spray at a time. Contact > Trailblazing scientist’s gift creates space for students and future leaders On Nov. 1, UF/IFAS will open the Pauline O. Lawrence Student Residence at TREC, a welcoming home for graduate students and a lasting legacy from a trailblazing scientist who believed in belonging, opportunity, and the power of education. Contact > Groundbreaking for AI center during UF/IFAS Gulf Coast REC 100th anniversary celebration To celebrate 100 years of agricultural innovation, UF/IFAS is breaking ground on a new AI center at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm. The 40,000-square-foot hub will fast-track tech-driven solutions to help Florida’s farmers. Contact > Bid and support 4-H youth: Palm Beach Extension online auction ends Oct. 31 Your next online bid could spark a future. Shop UF/IFAS Palm Beach 4-H’s Fall Fundraising Auction, open through Oct. 31, to support youth programs, leadership camps, STEM activities, and more. Every winning bid helps local kids grow. Contact > Nuevo contenido en español para esta semana. Tenemos una variedad de publicaciones de UF/IFAS que ahora se traducen al español para darle un mejor servicio a nuestras comunidades de habla hispana. A continuación encontrarás nuestras publicaciones e infográficos más recientes. Subvención de la EPA ayudará a restaurar esponjas marinas y mejorar la calidad del agua en el sur de Florida Las esponjas marinas filtran el agua en silencio y sostienen la vida marina en el sur de Florida, pero están bajo amenaza. Científicos de UF/IFAS trabajan para restaurar estos organismos esenciales y mejorar la calidad del agua mediante una iniciativa de investigación y restauración financiada por la EPA. Contacto > IN ENGLISH: EPA grant to help restore sea sponges, improve water quality in South Florida. Contact > From Around IFAS News from across the UF/IFAS network. One jar of peanut butter makes 16 sandwiches for local residents in need Help fight hunger, donate unopened jars of peanut butter through Nov. 24 at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County as part of the statewide Peanut Butter Challenge. All donations support our local food bank. RELATED ARTICLE: Florida’s Peanuts in a Nutshell! Contact > Five Cover Crops North Florida Farmer Should Consider This Fall As fields rest this fall, don’t let your soil sleep. Planting cover crops now helps prevent erosion, enrich soil, and prepare your land, vegetable plots or pasture, for a healthier, more productive spring. RELATED ARTICLES: Cover Crops. National Estate Planning Awareness Week – October 2025 National Estate Planning Awareness Week (NEPAW) takes place this year from October 20–26, 2025. Established in 2008, NEPAW aims to educate individuals on the importance of estate planning. RELATED ARTICLES: Estate Planning. Best of the rest. Alternative story formats created or supported by UF/IFAS Communications. Our blogs share knowledge: Florida’s Flora of Fright: Wild Plants with a Spooky Side Autumn’s eerie energy is in full bloom. From toxic traits to ghostly lore, explore six wild Florida plants with spooky or surprising stories. These eerie natives add a chilling twist to seasonal traditions that celebrate the harvest and the haunted. Video stories: The Lady in Blue - A Ghost Story Built more than a century ago, this UF/IFAS building has served many roles, from mule barn to print shop to offices. But according to campus lore, not everyone who worked here ever truly left. RELATED ARTICLE: Campus Haunts: The Spookiest Spots at UF.  Visual learning: Homemade Pesticides Homemade pesticides are sometimes used for personal pest control, but it’s important to understand the safety and legal considerations. Learn when it’s permitted, what precautions to take, and why EPA-registered products may be a safer option. Download >  |  More infographics >   Visit the UF/IFAS Newsroom Find B-roll, photos and more for your coverage needs at ifas.ufl.edu/newsroom. UF/IFAS Communications News and Media Relations Team

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