Dr. Matthew E. Smith

Dr. Matthew E. Smith
Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida

Dr. Matthew E. Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at University of Florida and is curator of the Fungal Herbarium at the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLAS). Dr. Smith studies fungal ecology, evolution, and systematics and is a recognized expert on the biology and systematics of hypogeous fungi (“truffles”) and the ecology of plant-symbiotic ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. Over the last 15 years, Dr. Smith has collected truffles in North America, Asia, and South America. He has recently begun studying the biology of the Pecan Truffle (Tuber lyonii) – a common truffle species that is regularly collected in the pecan orchards of the Southeastern USA. Dr. Smith will provide an introduction to this poorly known truffle species and discuss prospects for further harvest and cultivation of the Pecan Truffle.