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• Founder, Director, Webeditor, and writer in both new media (web) and traditional media (print) for the Centre for International Ethnomedicinal Education and Research (CIEER) a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization
• Graphic design, Web interface and navigation developer
• Strong computer software, hardware skills
• Creator of online, scientific ethnobotanical-oriented editorial collections, project data, and web articles.
• Strong communication, project management, and product development skills
• Designed, developed and maintained numerous websites
  • CIEER.org
    - Plants, People and Medicine: A Journey Through Time
    - Global Ethnomedicinal Information Retrieval System
  • Society for Economic Botany
  • Biological Sciences Program, University of Florida
  • Department of Botany, University of Florida

Date of Birth: August 31, 1965

Citizenship: United States
Marital Status: Single, no dependents

American Samoa, Belize, Brazil, Brussels, Canada, Cook Islands, Czech Republic, England, Egypt, Fiji, Kingdom of Tonga, French Polynesia (Mo'orea), France, Ghana, Guatemala, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Scotland, Thailand, Turkey, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.

United States Agency for International Development
Kosovo Business Support, Pristina, Kosovo
Peter Dickrell, Agribusiness Development Specialist, +377 44 275 927

• Visited with herb and mushroom farmers, organizations, producers, and agro-processors to gain knowledge of the existing crop and harvesting practices, as well as the potential market demand.
• Developed marketing strategies for each of the top 10 identified herb commodities.
• Compiled industry product standards for the top 10 herbs.
• Formulated an action plan for developing business websites for KBS clients.
• Assisted in the development of an industry association for medicinal and aromatic plants.

United States Agency for International Development
FOREST Project, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Zosya Zavyalko, (3912) 49 59 29

• Provided the Krasnoyarsk association (KANLP) with marketing assistance for sheered pine nut kernels.
• Provided an analysis of trade partner opportunities for sheered pine nut kernels.
• Presented samples of the trade offers and applications to conduct email communication on the trade.

United States Agency for International Development
Kosovo Business Support, Pristina, Kosovo
Peter Dickrell, Agribusiness Development Specialist, +377 44 275 927

• Reviewed the general and scientific literature on plants with economic potential in Kosovo and created a web directory of medicinal plants, which have, potential for commercialization. www.kosovoherbs.com
• Created a digital photo directory of medicinal herbs and plant and provide names in English and these will be translated into Albanian and Serbian (translation by KBS).
• Created herb descriptions and photos will be uploaded on to a web site for international access.
• Advised Kosovar herb companies on most lucrative plants for commercialization.
• Assisted companies with initial trade contacts and relations with companies.
• View Seminar Powerpoint presentation

Ethnobotany Program
Dr. Will C. McClatchey, Assistant Professor
(808) 956-6704

• Development of botanical databases (Herbaria specimen catalogs).
• Grant writing for National Science Foundation funding.
• Assisted in development of botanical websites (Lyon Arboretum).

International Development - Peace Corps
Dr. Jane Luzar, Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
(352) 392-1963

• Coordinated N. Central Florida and UF Campus recruiting activities with Atlanta Regional Recruiting Office.
• Developed and maintained the campus Peace Corps website and initiated E-cruiting activities.
• Managed day-to-day operations of recruiting office.
• Maintained personal contact with faculty, student groups, and campus organizations to furnish information about Peace Corps programs, interviewed potential applicants and made nominations to country programs.
• Recruited prospective Peace Corps Volunteers including interviewing, evaluation and nomination into International programs.
• Assisted in establishing a Master's International Program.

Computer Technician/
Website developer
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Biological Sciences Program
Gainesville, FL 32611-8525
1/2000-5/2000
(Part-time 20 hrs/wk)

Website Development and Management
Dr. Jon Reiskind, Undergraduate Coordinator
Department of Zoology
(352) 392-1187

• Responsible for design, development and maintenance of Biological Sciences Program website and BSC course webpages.

• Managed 12 departmental laboratory Macintosh computer including software/hardware installation.

Computer Technician/
Website developer
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Department of Botany
Gainesville, FL 32611-8526
8/1999-5/2000
(Part-time 10 hrs/wk)

Website Development and Management
Dr. George Bowes, Chairman, Department of Botany
(352) 392-1175

• Developed, designed and maintained Botany departmental website, course webpages
• Managed 30 networked departmental computers including software/hardware installation.
  

Teaching Assistant
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Biological Sciences Program
Gainesville, FL 32611-8525
8/1999-12/1999
(Part-time 20 hrs/wk)

• Graduate lecturer for Biology 2005L (laboratory), maintained course webpage, managed 12 laboratory Macintosh computers. Lectured 45 students on the following subjects Evolution, Cells and Cell Physiology, Mitosis/Meiosis, Human Genetics, Mendelian Genetics, Human Anatomy, Reproduction, Sensory Physiology, Ecosystems of Florida, Introduced Species of Florida, and Conservation and Biodiversity.
  

Research Botanist
CIEER
Gainesville, FL 32604
5/1999-7/1999 & 5/1998-9/1998

• Conducted ethnomedicinal field research in Bahia, Brazil with the Pataxó indigenous group. Collected 125 medicinal plants and respective traditional knowledge through collaborative interviews with 4 traditional healers. Data procured for the archival of traditional medicinal plant knowledge for incorporation in the development of the Global Ethnomedicinal Information Retrieval System (GEIRS).
• Assisted in the archival of traditional knowledge of medicinal plant use for the development of the Global Ethnomedicinal Information Retrieval System.

Computer Technician
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Department of Botany
Gainesville, FL 32611-8526
1/99-5/99
(Part-time 20 hrs/wk)

• Designed, developed and maintained departmental website, and course webpages and managed 30 networked computers.

Database Technician
Office of Info. Technology
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Gainesville, FL 32611-0350
919/98-1219/98

• Assisted in the maintenance of the Extension Digital Information Source (EDIS) publications database, utilized MS Access database for tracking the processing of IFAS publications from review area to final EDIS publication database. Maintained respective websites.

Computer Technician/
Website developer
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Gainesville, FL 32611-8526
8/1999 - 4/2000
(Part-time 20 hrs/wk)

• Developed, designed and maintained departmental website, and course webpages and managed 30 networked computer.

Research Assistant
Office of Info. Technology
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Gainesville, FL 32611-0350
1/1997 - 5/1998
(Part-time 20 hrs/wk)

• Developed prototype of the Global Ethnomedicinal Information Retrieval System. Maintained respective websites Dr. Howard Beck, Head of Research, Office of Information Technologies.
• Digital scanning, electronic document processing, graphic artwork preparation.

Horticulturist
City of Gainesville,
Parks Division,
Gainesville, FL 32602
5/1996 - 9/1996

• Employed as part of tree crew duties included; tree planting, mulching, fertilizing and watering. Utility-line clearance, tree trimming and chipping. Nursery Management. Maintenance of Waldo Road Beautification Project.
  

Research Assistant
Office of Info. Technology
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Gainesville, FL 32611
8/1993 - 6/1996
(Part-time 20 hrs/wk)

• Developed the Citrus and Tropical Fruit Disorder Diagnostic Expert System for distribution on CD-ROM. Organized Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) publications pertaining to Tropical Fruits for CD-ROM publication and web delivery.
• Designed and maintained IFAS websites.
• Digital processing of photographic images and authoring of HTML, and conversion to PDF files. Graphic design CD cover layout for several CD-ROMs including Tropical Fruit, Citrus, Plant Selector, and WoodyBug CD-ROMs.
• Developed and tested a computer-based diagnostic expert system for disorders of citrus and six selected tropical fruit crops.
• Conducted greenhouse sand-culture nutritional study of potted carambola, lychee, and papaya seedlings.
• Identified and confirmed visual N, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Mg deficiency symptoms of containerized carambola, lychee, and papaya plants grown under controlled greenhouse conditions in sand-culture.

Peace Corps
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
AND FORESTRY,
Kingdom of Tonga, Nuku'alofa, South Pacific
12/1989 - 4/1993

Description of Service

Peace Corps Volunteer
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Supervisor: Mr. 'Ofa K. Fakalata, Deputy Director
011 676 32-125

• Served as Tropical Fruit Crop Research Specialist. Supervised 5 Tongan counterparts including agricultural training/educational activities for national 5 year development plan.
• Project planning, fundraising, design, execution, and management activities for Diversified Fruit Tree Development Project (US$50,000.00). In particular, responsible for all national technical assistance activities in the field of tropical/subtropical tree crop production, research activities as well as formulation of new development projects.
• Managed vegetative propagation nursery of medicinal plants and tropical fruit tree with annual production and distribution of >10,000 seedlings per year.
• Managed/maintained existing tropical fruit tree orchards including citrus, mango, carambola, macadamia nut, and grape.
• Supervised a germplasm introduction program, responsible for successfully introducing 25 new fruit crop species including more than 100 cultivars of avocado, carambola, citrus, durian, longan, mango, mangosteen, papaya, rambutan for establishing a in-situ germplasm collection.
• Developed research station computer room, installation and maintenance of 6 computers. Trained host country scientists and staff members.
• Responsible for the termination of the 10 year US. Peace Corps assistance to the project and transfer to national counterpart staff and preparation of final report

University of Florida, College of Agriculture, Gainesville, FL

• Ph.D., Botany Department, University of Florida, August 2001
Dissertation: An Analysis of the Pataxó Pharmacopoeia of Bahia Brazil, using an Object Oriented Database Model.
GPA 3.75/4.0

• MS, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, December 1995
MS Thesis: Developing computer-based diagnostic systems for diseases, disorders and pest damage of citrus and tropical fruit crops. CD's Available - Citrus \ Tropical Fruit

- Member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Virginia Tech, College of Natural Resources, Department of Forestry, Blacksburg, VA

• BS, Forest Resource Management, December 1988

Intermediate fluency in Portuguese, Spanish and Tongan.

USDA Region 8 (Southern Region) Hotshot Firefighting Training: Crewmember 1985-88, Blacksburg Ranger District 80 hours training in Basic Forest Service firefighting (32 hr. S-130), Introduction to Fire Behavior (S-190), Power Saw (24 hr. S-212), Firing Equipment (S-215), Safety and First Aid (8 hr.), Air Transportation and Operation (4 hr.), Water and Pump (S-211) and physical fitness Training. 1000+ hrs of firefighting experience on state and federal land.

Other Certificates: Red Cross CPR and First Aid Training certificate, PADI SCUBA open water diving certificate (1990), HIV/AIDS Educator certificate from North Central Florida Aids Network.

Operating Systems: MS-DOS, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows 95/98.

Application Programs: Microsoft Office 2000 (Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook Express), WordPerfect 2000, Borland J-Builder, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe Pagemaker, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe PageMill, Eudora, and Netscape, Internet Explorer, McAfee Virus Protection and Norton Utilities, HTML, FTP, Netscape Navigator/Communicator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, EndNote, MS Access, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Office and Dreamweaver.

Hardware: Microsoft and Novell Networking, PC setup, installation and configuration, MS Windows 95/98 Operating system and software installation.

Society of Economic Botany (SEB) - Webeditor
American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS)
Florida State Horticultural Society (FSHS)
Society for Ethnobiology
International Society for Ethnobiology (ISE)

Thomas, M. B. 1990. Citrus Production in Tonga. Proceedings to the Tropical Fruit Production in the South Pacific Meeting: IRETA/University of the South Pacific, Apia, Western Samoa.

Thomas, M. B. 1991. Tava, Growing in the Place Where Time Begins. Tropical Fruit News. Vol. 25, No. 5.

Thomas, M. B. 1992. Tongan Agricultural Crop Fact Sheets Series: Tropical Fruits. Leaflets Number 11-32. Government Printing, Nuku'alofa, Tonga.

Thomas, M. B. 1993. Country Report: Tropical Fruit Production in Tonga. Proceedings to the Tropical Fruit Production in the South Pacific Meeting: IRETA/University of the South Pacific, Apia, Western Samoa

Thomas, M. B. 1995. Developing computer-based diagnostic systems for diseases, disorders and pest damage of citrus and tropical fruit crops. Masters Thesis. University of Florida, Gainesville. Abstract

Ferguson, J.,J, M.B. Thomas, H.W. Beck, J.H. Crane and F.S. Zazueta. 1996. Citrus Management and Diagnostic Software.

Thomas, M. B., H.W. Beck, J.H. Crane, J.J. Ferguson, and J.W. Noling. 1996. A diagnostic aid for citrus and tropical fruit crops. In: Proc. Sixth International Conf. on Computers in Agric. P. Martinez-Austria, J. Zin, and N.H. Garcia-Villanueva (eds.). Amer. Soc. Agric. Eng., St. Joseph, MO, p.535-540.

Ferguson, J.J., M.B. Thomas, H.W. Beck, J.H. Crane, and F.S. Zazueta. 1996. Citrus management and diagnostic software. In: Proc. Sixth International Conf. on Computers in Agric. P. Martinez-Austria, J. Zin, and N.H. Garcia-Villanueva (eds.). Amer. Soc. Agric. Eng., St. Joseph, MO, p.513-517.

Thomas, M. B., J. H. Crane, J. J. Ferguson, H. W. Beck, and J. W. Noling. 1997. Diagnostic Expert Systems for Disorders of Citrus and Selected Tropical Fruit Crops. HortTechnology.

Crane, J. H. and M. B. Thomas. 1997. Fertilizer Recommendations for Florida Mangoes. Citrus and Vegetable. 61:56-58.

Crane, J. H., Thomas, M. B. and J. Ferguson. 1997. Fertilizer Recommendations for Florida Papaya. Citrus and Vegetable. 62:34-36.

Crane, J.H., M.B. Thomas, and H.W. Beck. 1998. Tropical Fruits CD-ROM, SW-113. For sale CD-ROM. University of Florida-IFAS, Cooperative Extension Service, Gainesville, Fla. (http://ifasbooks.ufl.edu/).

Thomas, M. B. 2001. 1999-2000 Society for Economic Botany Membership Directory. Publications Department, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.

Thomas, M. B. 2000. Index for the Journal of Ethnobiology from 1981-2000. Society for Ethnobiology. Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.

Thomas, M. B. 2001. An Analysis of the Pataxó Pharmacopeia of Bahia, Brazil, Using an Object Oriented Database Model. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Florida. Gainesville.

Thomas, M. B., N. Lin. and H. W. Beck. 2001. A Database Model for Integrating and Facilitating Collaborative Ethnomedicinal Research. Pharmaceutical Biology. 2001, Vol. 39, No. xx, pp. xx–xx.

Thomas, M. B. (2002). Ethnomedicinal Research.Index for the Journal of Economic Botany from 1959-2002. CIEER. Gainesville, FL.

Thomas, M. B. (in press). Ethnobotanical Databases. Pages xxx-xxx in B.C. Bennett and A. Paul, eds. Building Bridges with Traditional Knowledge. Columbia University Press, NY.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

A Computer-based Diagnostic System for Diseases, Disorders and Pest of Subtropical and Tropicals. Presented July 1995 at the ASHS Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada.

Thomas, M., J.H. Crane, J.J. Ferguson. 1995. Identification of N, K, Mg, Mn, Fe and Zn Deficiency Symptoms of Carambola, Lychee, and Papaya Grown in Sand Culture. Proc. Fla. State Horticultural Society. Presented Oct. 23, 1995 at the FSHS Annual Meeting, in Orlando, Florida. Abstract

Thomas, M., H.W. Beck, J.H. Crane, J.J. Ferguson and J.W. Noling. 1996. A Diagnostic Aid for Citrus and Tropical Fruit Crops. Proceedings of the 6th International Meeting of Computers in Agriculture. Pp. 535-539. Presented June 14, 1996 at the Sixth International Conference on Computers in Agriculture in Cancun, Mexico. Abstract | PDF

Thomas, M. 1997. A Prototype for a WWW-based Global Ethnomedicinal Information Retrieval System. Proceedings of the Building Bridges with Traditional Knowledge: An Exploration of Issues Involving Indigenous Peoples, Conservation, Development and EthnoScience Conference. February 12 - 15, 1997. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603.