Seminar Series

Fall and spring seminars support Horticulture's graduate research program. Graduate students fill much of the schedule with required MS/PhD exit seminars. The Horticulture Seminar Committee and Horticulture Graduate Student Association (HGSA) strive to support professional development with academic and industry guest speakers as well.

UGA faculty, students, staff and their guests are welcome to join each week. Zoom links are provided through the weekly seminar distribution lists via email. For security purposes, zoom information is not provided to non-UGA individuals without a professional or personal connection.

Join us on Tuesdays from 3pm – 4pm for our weekly seminars through each Fall and Spring semester. In-person meeting locations are available as noted below.

Athens: Miller Plant Sciences (MPS), room 1205
Tifton: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin: Cowart, room 214 (Student Learning Center, Building 4400, room 116 on 2/10/26 & 2/24/26)

HORTICULTURE SPRING 2026 SEMINAR SERIES

Tuesday, February 3 - Guest Speaker

3:00pm - 4:00pm

Impact of biological soil amendments and biofumigation techniques to control foodborne pathogens in production soils

Dr. Laurel Dunn
Associate Professor and Extention Coordinator/UGA Food Science & Technology

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Cowart, room 214

Tuesday, February 10 - Guest Speaker

3:00pm - 4:00pm

TBD

Dr. Stefania De Pascale
Professor/University of Naples Federico II

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Student Learning Center, Building 4400, room 116

Tuesday, February 17

3:00pm - 4:00pm

Optimizing LED lighting using a chlorophyll fluorescence-based biofeedback system in controlled environment agriculture

Suyun Nam, PhD GRA
PhD Exit Seminar

Advisor: Dr. R. Ferrarezi

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Cowart, room 214

Tuesday, February 24

3:00pm - 4:00pm

Advancing Precision Nutrition in CEA: Optimization of Sap Analysis Protocols and Nutrient Sufficiency Ranges for Lettuce, Cucumber, and Tomato

Husnain Rauf, PhD GRA
PhD Exit Seminar

Advisor: Dr. R. Ferrarezi

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Student Learning Center, Building 4400, room 116

Tuesday, March 3 - Guest Speakers

3:00pm - 4:30pm

Horticulture will be hosting two exchange students from North Carolina State University.

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Cowart, room 214

Tuesday, March 17

3:00pm - 4:00pm

Ripening and Postharvest Physiology of Blueberries: A Molecular and Metabolic Perspective

Dr. Savithri Nambeesan, Associate Research Scientist, UGA Horticulture

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Cowart, room 214

Tuesday, March 24

3:00 pm - 3:45 pm

Identifying and utilizing Extension Master Gardener project sites for participatory Horticulture research

Alana Edwards, MS GRA
MS Exit Seminar

Advisor: Dr. S. Dorn

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Cowart, room 214

___________________

3:45 pm - 4:30 pm

EVALUATION OF EARLY-SEASON IRRIGATION REDUCTION IN SOUTHEASTERN U.S. PECAN ORCHARDS USING CROP COEFFICIENTS

Ibukunoluwa "IBK" Adelekan, MS GRA
MS Exit Seminar

Advisor: Dr. L. Wells

Presenting from the Tifton campus, NESPAL 533
Athens viewing:Miller Plant Science, room 1205
Griffin viewing: Cowart, room 214

Tuesday, March 31 - 3 Minute Thesis competition

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

TBD

TBD

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS

Tuesday, April 7

3:00 pm - 3:45 pm

Evaluation of the Horticultural Performance of Aronia Species Grown in Different Ecoregions

Taiwo Adesiyan, MS GRA
MS Exit Seminar

Advisor: Dr. B. Pennisi

Presenting from Griffin campus, Cowart, room 214
Athens viewing: Miller Plant Science, room 1205
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533

___________________

3:45 pm - 4:30 pm

Molecular physiology of peach bud dormancy and blueberry ripening

Ashley Sorrow, MS GRA
MS Exit Seminar

Advisor: Dr. S. Nambeesan/Dr. A. Malladi

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Cowart, room 214

Tuesday, April 14

300 pm - 4:00 pm

Understanding the genetic and physiological basis of blossom-end rot in tomato

Ranveer Singh, PhD GRA
PhD Exit Semimar

Advisor: Dr. S. Nambeesan/Dr. E. van der Knaap

Presenting from Athens campus, 1205 MPS
Tifton viewing: NESPAL, room 533
Griffin viewing: Cowart, room 214