About

Hi there! My name is Shelly Gaynor.

I grew up in Tampa, Fl. I completed my B.S. in Biology at the University of Central Florida, during which I was able to participate in multiple undergraduate research opportunties (see below). In Summer 2024, I completed my Ph.D. in Botany with the Soltis Lab at the University of Florida. I was an NSF Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Biology with Dr. Stephen A. Smith at the University of Michigan from September 2024 until January 2027. In January 2027, I will be starting as an Assistant Professor at Florida State University in the Ecology & Evolution Division within the Department of Biological Science.

Outside of research I enjoy traveling, spending time with my family, crafting, and hanging out with my cats! My cats often make appearances on Zoom: Mabel, a tuxedo cat, and Gus, a tabby.

Please check out my research page to learn more about my research and feel free to contact me! I enjoy developing teaching material and software, check out my software page to find out more.

You can find my curriculum vita here and my two-page resume here. Find a headshot of me here.

2024-2027

University of Michigan

Postdoctoral Fellow
I am currently an NSF Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Biology with Dr. Stephen A. Smith at the University of Michigan.
2018 - 2024

University of Florida

Ph.D. in Botany
I completed my Ph.D. in Botany with Drs. Pam and Doug Soltis. My Ph.D. was funded by a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. I also served as an iDigBio Research Assistant.
2014-2018

University of Central Florida

B.S. Biology
During my undergraduate, I worked with Drs. Eric Hoffman and Linda Walters on a project assessing genetic diversity within natural populations of smooth cordgrass to ensure effective restoration efforts. I also worked with Dr. Chase Mason and Simone Lim-Hing on a project focused on genome duplication impact on secondary metabolite composition in non-cultivated species.
2017

University of Missouri

NSF-REU
In Dr. J. Chris Pires lab, I worked with Hong An on unraveling the origins of allotetraploid Brassica napus.
2017

University of Florida

NSF-REU iDigBio
With Drs. Pam and Doug Soltis, I investigated niche divergence among ploidal levels in a classic autopolyploid system, Galax urceolata.
2016

University of Colorado-Boulder

NSF-REU
With Drs. Julienne Ng and Robert Laport, I investigated the influence of genome duplication on Brassicaceae and Rosaceae communities across the United States.