Dr. Shea A. Keene received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of South Florida. Originally intending to pursue medicine, Dr. Keene completed all the pre-requisites for medical school. During her final semester, she decided to shelve those plans and instead pursue her love of plants. She completed a three-month horticultural internship at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on the island of Kauai, then worked as a gardener at Bok Tower Gardens in central Florida for a year. From there, she completed her master's and Ph.D. in Horticultural Sciences at the University of Florida, where her research focused on the floral fragrance of daylilies and violets. She then worked as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Florida's Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, leading a multi-year, multi-site study on industrial hemp. Outside the classroom, Dr. Keene enjoys reading, gardening, exploring Florida, and spending time with her family, friends, and dogs.
