Professor Frank Gilliam was hired in 1990 to teach plant ecology at Marshall University but next spring will depart from Huntington to follow his wife and his research to Florida.

“I’ve run a pretty decent race here,” said Gilliam, whose wife recently received a promotion and will relocate to Florida. “I told my wife to go for it, and I’ll figure it out.”

Gilliam wrote his doctoral dissertation on the effects of fire on pine forests, and now, 28 years later, he aims to resume this research in Florida where wildfires have created one of the least diverse pine populations in the nation.

Gilliam has published three books, and the data from his ecology class has led to two papers being published.

“It’s been a really rewarding course to teach through the years,” Gilliam said. “I’m more productive now than when I started out. I’m definitely not ready to retire. I feel a lot younger than I look.”

The research Gilliam plans to perform in Florida will heavily involve the Longleaf Pine. Gilliam said Native Americans once burned the forests as well.

“These ecosystems evolved being burned quite often,” Gilliam said. “Only one species can survive that.”

When Gilliam gets to Florida, he not only plans to continue his Longleaf Pine research but said he also wants to publish books that will make biology more easily digestible.

Everyday questions have scientific answers, according to Gilliam, but it’s often too dense for most to delve into the details.

“Here at Marshall, I’ve loved the balance between teaching and research,” Gilliam said. “My research energizes my teaching.”

Sebastian Morris can be contacted at [email protected].