Thursday, May 14th, 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM 

Agenda summary:

8:30 - 9:00 AM: 
Breakfast reception & registration

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM:

Welcome: Dan Voytas, Professor, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, UMN
Introduction: Dr. Nora Lapitan, Deputy Administrator, USDA
Keynote: Steve Whitham, Professor, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University 
Abe Steinberger, Voytas Lab: PhD Candidate, UMN
Shaobin Zhong, USDA-ARS Research Plant Pathologist & UMN Adjunct Professor
Lightning talks

12:00 - 1:00 PM: 
Lunch and Poster session

1:00 - 4:45 PM: 

Diana Horvath, President & Co-Founder 2Blades
Matthew Moscou, USDA-ARS Research Plant Pathologist & UMN Adjunct Assistant Professor
Shaun Curtin, USDA-ARS Research Geneticist & UMN Adjunct Assistant Professor
Michael Smanski, Professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, UMN
Diane Okamura, National Science Foundation Program officer
Keynote: Lucia Strader, Howard H. and Maryam R. Newman Chair, Salk Institute for Biological Studies

4:45 - 5:30 PM: 
Reception
 

Showcase your research by presenting a poster at the symposium:

• Submission portal now open! 
  Deadline to submit: Monday, May 4th
   
• From submitted abstracts, five speakers will be selected to deliver lightning talks during symposium programming.
• The poster session will be juried! Prizes will be awarded to the top three posters. 
  • Posters will be evaluated day-of by our visiting scholars; prizes announced at the reception following the symposium.
  • A special thanks to the following organizations for their generous donation of prizes! 
     

Minnesota Orchestra 
1st prize: 2 tickets to a summer 2026 performance
$200-value

Embrace North Sauna
2nd & 3rd prizes: 3-month sauna & cold-plunge membership
$120-value/each