Fall 2024 Seminars
Exploring the Complex Metabolome with TIMS and 4-D Omics
Dr. Erica Forsberg
Vice President Metabolomics
Bruker Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry
Methylglyoxal-glyoxalase system is a key regulator of fruit ripening in tomato
Dr. Arun Sharma, Professor
Department of Plant Molecular Biology
University of Delhi, South Campus
Artistic and Archaeological Evidence in Science Communication:
A New Paradigm for Explaining Science More Effectively
Dr. Teresa Capell, Principal Investigator
Agricultural Biotechnology Group at the University of Lleida
Catalonia, Spain
My Horticultural Journey
Jim Berry, Founder, Owner & President
J Berry Nursery
Grand Saline, TX
Trends and Innovation in Horticulture
Anna Caroline Ball
Chairman and CEO of Ball Horticultural Company
West Chicago, IL (and worldwide)
Spring 2024 Seminars
Substrate Stratification: A Simplistic Concept to Address Complex Challenges
Dr. Jeb S. Fields, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist
LSU Agricultural Center
Hammond Research Station
The Future of Horticulture: Optimizing Soil, Plant & Human Health in a Changing Climate
Dr. Nichole Wagner, Assistant Professor
Department of Agricultural Sciences
Texas State University
Replaying the Tape of a Century of Crop Adaptation
Dr. Daniel Koenig, Assistant Professor
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
Institute for Integrative Genome Biology
University of California Riverside
Soilless NOT Soulless: The Impact of Soilless Cultivation on a
Climate Resilient Future
Dr. Brian E. Jackson, Professor and Director
Horticultural Substrates Laboratory
North Carolina State University
Diversity and Evolution in Asteraceae, the World’s Largest Plant Family
Dr. Jennifer R. Mandel
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Memphis
Ecosystem Services of Urban Lawns and Landscapes
Dr. Ben Wherley
Professor of Turfgrass Science & Ecology
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Texas A&M University
Opportunities for Climate-Smart Practices in Horticulture
Dr. Julie Howe, Professor
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Texas A&M University
Fall 2023 Seminar
Filling the Gaps: Nanopriming and Nanotextures to Prevnt Contamination of Fresh Produce
Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos
Professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences
Plant Bioactives & Bioprocessing Research Lab
Texas A&M University
Practical Polyploid Breeding and Abnormal Reproduction of Ornamental Plants
Dr. David Czarnecki
North American Breeding Manager
Ernest Benary of America, Inc.
The Role of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in the OIV Digital Transition Plan
Dr. Jose´Enrique Herbert-Pucheta
Professor in Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy
Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas
Instituto Politécnico Nacional
Mexico City, MX
Tomato Fruit Firmness: Breeding for Long Shelf Life While Conserving Quality is Now Possible
Dr. Carlos Avila
Associate Professor of Horticulture
Texas A&M Agrilife Research and Extension Center
Weslaco, TX
Spring 2023 Seminars
Fifty Years of Change in A&M Horticulture
Dr. George Ray McEachern
Professor Emeritus of Extension Horticulture
Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas Agrilife Extension Service and Texas A&M University
The Birth of an Ornamental Breeding Company
Dr. Laura Masor
Senior Breeder
WinGen LLC
Buda, TX
Adoption of Postharvest Technologies Is More Than Availability
Dr. Chris Watkins
Professor, School of Integrative Plant Sciences
Horticulture Section
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
Unlocking the Power of Regenerative Organic Agriculture
Dr. Shandrea Stallworth
Organic Consultant for the Southeast Region
Rodale Institute
Improving Crop Quality and Reducing Postharvest Losses Through Fruit Biology Research
Dr. Barbara Blanco-Ulate, Associate Professor
Department of Plant Sciences
University of California, Davis
Sensory Science – What It Isn’t, What It Is, And How It Can Help You
Dr. Andreea Botezatu
Associate Professor of Extension Horticulture
Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University & Texas Agrilife Extension Service
Fall 2022 Seminars
The Role of Conventional and Non-conventional Yeast in Winemaking
Dr. Nichola Hall, Technical Director
Fermentation and Enology, Scott Laboratories
Heraldsburg, CA
Differential Sensing, Concept and Applications, with a Focus on Wine
Dr. Eric Van Anslyn
Distinguished Teaching Professor and Welch Chair in Chemistry
Dr. Olivia Olivares Zamora
Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Texas at Austin
Tree Fruit Research at the Intersection of Biology and Technology
Dr. Matthew Whiting
Professor, Department of Horticulture
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
Age of Duckweed: Harnessing a Family of Small Aquatic Plants to Innovate Agriculture & Plant Science
Dr. Eric Lam, Distinguished Professor
Department of Plant Biology
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Epigenetics, Reprogramming in Plants and Its Potential for Agricultural Impact
Dr. Sally MacKenzie
Director of the Plant Institute and Huck Chair for Functional Genomics
Eberly College of Science
Penn State University
Spring 2022 Seminars
Can Plants Work as Medicine to Prevent and Treat Chronic Diseases?
Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos
Professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences
Plant Bioactives & Bioprocessing Research Lab
Texas A&M University
Exploring Metabolic and Genetic Diversity in Tomato Secondary Metabolites Using Metabolomics
Dr. Michael Dzakovich
Research Plant Physiologist
USDA-ARS
Houston, TX
Near-isogenic Lines as a Tool to Understand the Plant Food-out Bacteria-health Complexity
Dr. Lavanya Reddivari, Associate Professor
Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research
Department of Food Science
Purdue University
2022 Green Industry Economic Outlook
Dr. Charlie Hall
Ellison Chair in International Floriculture
Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University
Healthy, Immune-protective Plant Bioactives Delivered in Functional, Stable, Hypoallergenic Foods
Dr. Mary Ann Lila
Director, Plants for Human Health Institute
North Carolina State University
Sustainable Production of Nutritious Food in Abundance – A Research Overview
Dr. Amit Dhingra
Professor and Head
Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University
Fall 2021 Seminars
Public Gardens Contribute to Resiliency to Climate Change in Built Environments
Dr. Mike Arnold
Professor of Horticulture
Director of The Gardens at Texas A&M University
Quantifying the Benefits and Values of Plants in Public Green Spaces
Dr. Gerald Burgner, Lecturer
Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University
Gardens of the Big Bend in Florida – A Small Garden with Big Conservation Opportunities
Dr. Gary Knox
Professor of Environmental Horticulture & Nursery Crops and Extension Specialist
University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center
Quincy, FL
Public Gardens in a Pandemic – Establishing Relevance and Maintaining Impact
Dr. Casey Sclar, Executive Director
Dr. Lauren Garcia Chance, Outreach Manager
American Public Gardens Association
Reiman Gardens and Iowa State University – Partnering in Student Education
Ed Lyon
Director of the Reiman Gardens
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
Building Bridges between the Horticulture and Research Communities
Dr. Morgan Gostel, Research Botanist
Director, Global Genome Initiative Gardens
Botanical Research Institute of Texas
Fort Worth, TX
Spring 2021 Seminars
Turning Photons Into Food
Dr. Bruce Bugbee
Professor of Crop Physiology
Utah State University
President, Apogee Instruments, Inc.
Development of CEA Technology – Integration & Innovation
Dr. Chieri Kubota
Professor of Horticulture
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
AeroFarms – Farming Locally, Globally in “Little Farms”
Dr. Ed Harwood, Co-Founder
Aero Farms
Danville, VA
Nutrient Delivery Systems – The Lifeblood for Successful Plant Production
Dr. Gene Giacomelli
Professor of Biosystems Engineering
Controlled Environment Agriculture Center
University of Arizona
Precision and Resource Use Efficient Controlled Environment Agriculture
Dr. Murat Kacira
Professor of Biosystems Engineering
Director, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center
University of Arizona
Smart Lighting Strategies for Controlled Environment Agriculture
Dr. Marc van Iersel
Professor of Horticulture
University of Georgia
Athens, GA
Plants in Space, Veggie, and Space Crop Production
Dr. Gioia Massa, Project Scientist
Kennedy Space Center, FL