Seminars

Seminar Plus: CIPM seminar series

August 24, 2023. Joe LaForest. Bugwood: What is it? (View Recorded Presentation)

Mr. Joe LaForest is Associate Director for the University of Georgia’s Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health (Bugwood) and leads the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Forest Health programs. He joined University of Georgia in 2006 and has focused on developing resources for educating all audiences on IPM and plant biosecurity as well as using technology to enable more effective use and distribute information. He leads system development for various databases and interfaces used by the center for organization and delivery of images, video, presentations, occurrence data, maps, and other user created content. He also serves as Co-Director for the Southern IPM Center and coordinates the Facilitation of Innovation Through Technology (FITT) initiative to encourage communication between systems focused on IPM and Plant Biosecurity while also leveraging the capabilities of each system to maximize the benefit to all stakeholders.

Abstract: This webinar gives the history of Bugwood leading to their becoming the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia. It describes the many services and data sources they offer today including easily accessible archives of high quality images, presentations, & other resources; website hosting to support multi-institution outreach; and pest & invasive species reporting combined with data aggregation, validation & mapping. Finally, it explains how the Center’s strategic plan has led to the improvement of the products and services it offers.

June 15, 2023. William Landis. Small Farms, Cooperative Extension, and IPM. (View Recorded Presentation)

Mr. William Landis is the Small Farms/Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Franklin County Cooperative Extension. He graduated with a Master of Science in Agriscience Education in 2013 from North Carolina A&T State University. He taught secondary agriculture for the Public Schools of Robeson County. In addition to working as an Extension Agent, Mr. Landis serves in the Army Reserves as a Civil Affairs Officer.

Abstract: This presentation will discuss what Cooperative Extension is and how IPM experts can support the extension mission. It will also discuss small farmers and their pest management challenges.

June 8, 2023. Madeline Maynard. Analysis of Pesticide Risk Communication Strategies in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Member Economies (View Recorded Presentation) (View Slides)

Ms. Madeline Maynard is a recent graduate of North Carolina State University where she obtained a B. S. in Crop and Soil Sciences with concentration in crop biotechnology. She also received a minor in genetics and earned an undergraduate agricultural regulatory science certificate through NCSU’s CERSA program. She is currently completing an internship with CERSA in which she supports the USDA-FAS Trade Regulatory Capacity Building MRL division. Ms. Maynard is pursuing a full-time position with the FAS.

Abstract: Effective pesticide risk communication is an integral part of harmonizing global pesticide regulations. While risk communication is a very complex topic that involves consideration of multiple factors, certain risk communication tools can be utilized to increase the overall efficacy of risk communication systems. This analysis serves to highlight both effective and ineffective MRL/food safety pesticide risk communication tools utilized by APEC member economies to provide a more detailed understanding of how to effectively communicate risk. This analysis was conducted by studying the various government websites of each member economy to identify risk communication tools incorporated in each member’s risk communication strategy. USDA-FAS Posts were contacted to obtain the names of each government agency responsible for pesticide risk communication in the APEC member economies to ensure the correct websites were reviewed. The incorporation of effective risk communication tools outlined in this presentation could contribute to more comprehensive risk communication systems across the globe.

April 10, 2023. Dr. Silvia Rondon. Transferring Innovative Pest Management Programs Into the Hands of Our Next Generation of Users (View Recorded Presentation)

Dr. Silvia Rondon is the Oregon IPM Center Director, and a Professor and Extension Entomology Specialist at Oregon State University affiliated with the Department of Crop & Soil Sciences. She received her BA and MS in Entomology from the Agraria University in Lima, Perú, and Ph.D. in Crop Sciences with a major in Entomology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In Sept-2005, she joined Oregon State University. Her position includes Research, Extension, and Administration. Her area of expertise is IPM with an emphasis on insect ecology, insect distribution, population dynamics, and insect-plant interactions.

Abstract: The Oregon IPM Center (OIPMC)’s mission is to work with partners in agriculture, urban communities, and wildland/natural areas partners, while achieving a practical system to protect us from long-established and new invasive pests. One of our signature programs, the phenology program, was created and developed in 1996. Since then, the center had developed and maintained a weather and climate-driven decision support website for pest management and related agricultural needs. This presentation will include some practical case studies that will illustrate the technical capabilities of our system.

March 9, 2023.  Dr. Nicole Juba. Plant-based Solutions for a Healthier World (View Recorded Presentation)

Dr. Nicole Juba is the Associate Director, Regulatory at Pairwise. She holds a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech with a focus on plant metabolic engineering for increased nutrient content and disease resistance in peanut. Her experience and expertise have taken her around the world to support development, trialing, and registration of plant biotech products for large multinational companies as well as startups. She is proud to be part of a company making healthier fruit and vegetable options convenient for the American family.

Abstract: Pairwise is a food tech company headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, working to make healthy eating more convenient. In fact, our mission is “to build a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables”. To achieve this, we are finding the most impactful ways to make fruits and vegetables more enjoyable, convenient, and available. From trait discovery to field production to your table, come find out how we are developing leafy greens, berries, and cherries, and how we solve the expected, and unexpected challenges, ahead of us.

November 10, 2022. Dr. Fred Gould. Genetically Modified Pests (View Recorded Presentation)

Dr. Fred Gould is a North Carolina State University Distinguished Professor, Executive Director of the Genetics & Genomics Academy, and Co-Director of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at NC State University. Dr. Gould’s lab conducts research on the application of evolutionary biology and population genetics to enable the sustainable use of insect resistant crops and genetically engineered agricultural pests. While his lab has historically focused on pests of agricultural importance, his work on genetic pest management has also expanded to the development and use of engineered mosquitoes to decrease human disease.

Abstract: His talk will focus on using genetic engineering as a tool for reducing the impacts of pests of agricultural and medical importance.

October 13, 2022. Dr. Stanton Martin.21st Century Earth: Adapting Bioenergy to Global Change  (View Recorded Presentation)

Dr. Stanton Martin is an NCSU alumnus (2012, Ph.D. in Plant Pathology; 2002, M.Sc. in Bioinformatics) currently employed as a staff scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Martin has a long standing interest in the nexus of information technology and biological sciences, particularly as it relates to data management. Dr. Martin is a proponent of the FAIR principles with regards to data management, and utilizes this framework in the decision making process for the data management group at ORNL. The data management group focuses on utilizing cutting edge sensor and data management technologies to standardize and streamline the acquisition, management, and curation of data on scales ranging from individual genomes, metabolomes, and molecular interactions to entire ecosystems and the biosphere.

Abstract: Food, energy, and medicine are core areas of interest to researchers in the biological sciences. Understanding the interplay between these human endeavors and the environment is a grand challenge of our time. Of particular concern are the effects of climate change on human activities. There is an acute need to understand, and adapt to, the expected changes that weather related issue will have on agriculture, energy policy, and the social contract between citizens and governments in the 21st century. This talk will touch on aspects of these issues with particular emphasis on opportunities that may be available for young scientists at ORAU (Oak Ridge Affiliated Universities) in the coming decade. There will be a brief overview of the issues and time for a Question and Answer/ brainstorming session with participants.

September 29, 2022. Mr. Dylan Dodson. Improving Health In An Urban Community Using GIS Technology (View Recorded Presentation)

Mr. Dylan Dodson, native from Raleigh, NC, earned a B.Sc. in Geographic Information Science at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and is currently finishing his M.Sc. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at NC State University. Mr. Dodson is the CEO of Dodson Development, a company specializing in web development, app development, and geospatial mapping. He also volunteers for A Better Chance For Better Communities (ABC2) as a Chief Innovations Officer.

Abstract: Assessing the walk-ability and bike-ability conditions on Main Street in Scotland Neck, North Carolina. This project breaks down step by step of the planning process on partnering with community organizations to solve an issue, coming up with potential hazard that could be identified during an walk audit, app creation using ArcGIS QuickCapture, data collection, data cleaning, and showing the results process using ArcGIS Web Map App. We had over 20 citizens from the community of Scotland neck volunteer to perform the walk audit. They were able to create their own free account and learn quickly how to collect data. This app was created on ArcGIS QuickCapture. The team specifically designed the app to capture the users geolocation based on the location where the picture was taken of the hazard. The app was also specifically made to track the users path for the road conditions. This allowed the user to select if the condition of the road was Good, Fair, or Poor. This not only made it easy for the volunteers to use the app, it also made it fun.

April 14, 2022. Dr. Danesha Seth Carley. Plan, Plant, and Maintain Beautiful Pollinator Gardens in the South. (View Recorded Presentation)

Dr. Danesha Seth Carley is the Director of the NSF Center for Integrated Pest Management, Director of the Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture, and Associate Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University. Her research, academic, and outreach programs focus on Sustainable Managed Landscapes. Her focus is primarily on insect pollinator habitat conservation, how landscapes (gardens, public green space, etc.) can contribute to pollinator protection.

Abstract:  Interested in learning more about how you can help protect pollinators? Do you like to garden, or are you interested in getting more involved in gardening, ESPECIALLY if it can help save bees and butterflies? Would you like to learn more about garden design and how to add plants to your landscape that are bee-friendly? Are you ready for a relaxed and fun presentation that covers all this AND MORE? If you answered yes to any of these questions, plan to tune into my presentation on protecting and promoting pollinators in your landscape.

March 10, 2022. Dr. Bailian Li. NC State University’s Global Engagement and support to address Global Challenges and UN Sustainable Development Goals. (View Recorded Presentation)

Dr. Bailian Li is the Senior Vice Provost for the Office of Global Engagement at NC State. The Office of Global Engagement provides institutional leadership to promote Global Learning for All by providing students, faculty, staff and the communities we serve with the strategic partnerships, global knowledge, cultural understanding, skills and hands-on experiences needed to empower the next generation of global leaders. This presentation will provide an overview of NC State University’s global engagement programs, resources and support to the campus communities to address global challenges and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

February 10, 2022. Dr. Gavin Poole. You want me to research WHAT?!?

Dr. Gavin Poole is the perfect example of “straying away from your degree”. After earning a PhD in Poultry Science from the University of GA, he entered the private sector, working with small engineering firms making high tech sensors. These companies not only worked for the food and agricultural industries, but also for other entities such as NASA, the FBI, and the medical field. He then went to the USDA to work on “fringe” projects for plant pathologist and epidemiologist, Dr. Tim Gottwald, with their most successful program being the training of dogs to detect diseases in the citrus field. After Dr. Gottwald’s retirement, Dr. Poole joined NCSU and has continued his work with the canine projects, expanding it out of citrus and into other agricultural commodities. (contact: ghpoole@ncsu.edu)

Abstract:  A brief look at the more unusual areas of research that Dr. Poole found himself doing after finishing his PhD program – from entomology, to engineering, and finally ending up with a review of the use of canines to detect disease in the field, and how the introduction of a sensor that is significantly better than the industry standard can be problematic.

January 20, 2022. Dr. Glenn Fowler, Dr. Yu Takeuchi. Initiatives to Address the Increasing Risk to Plant Health from Plant Pests Due to Climate Change. (View Recorded Presentation)

Dr. Glenn Fowler is a risk analyst at USDA APHIS PPQ PPRA and has written numerous plant pest risk assessments and conducted geospatial analyses. Dr. Yu Takeuchi focuses on the analytic tools that PPRA and NCSU Center for Integrated Pest Management (CIPM) are developing to help understand potential climate change impacts on plant pests. She is a senior research scholar at NCSU CIPM and has a background in geospatial analytics and forest entomology.

Abstract:  Climate change could significantly increase the risks to plant health from plant pests. Dr. Fowler will be discussing these risks and some initiatives being conducted by the USDA, the North American Plant Protection Organization, and the International Plant Protection Convention to address them. To address these risks, PPQ PPRA (Plant Pest Risk Analysis) and the NCSU CIPM are developing tools within the Spatial Analytic Framework for Advanced Risk Information Systems (SAFARIS) to help understand potential climate change impacts on plant pests. Dr. Takeuchi will be discussing the development of these tools and how they can be used to assess climate change effects on plant pest phenology and geographic distribution.