Symposium Archive
Award Winners
2025 Awards
Oral Presentations | Graduate Students
1st place – Mahjabin Ferdaous Mim
2nd place – Megan Singletary
3rd place (tie) – Avinash Shrestha, Reshma Panackal Shibu, and Amir Shahin Shamsabadi
Poster Presentations | Graduate Students
1st place – Matthew 'Cole' Woolard
2nd place – Monjurul Huda
3rd place (tie) – Taylor Smith and Mohit Jain
Poster Presentations | Undergraduate Students
1st place – Jill Forrest
2nd place – Koby Nichols
2024 Awards
Oral Presentations | Graduate Students
1st place – Harshita Sharma
2nd place – Leo D’Agostino
3rd place – Mayank Bangari
Poster Presentations | Graduate Students
1st place – Avinash Shrestha
2nd place – Arjun Kafle
3rd place – Amir Shahin Shamsabadi
Poster Presentations | Undergraduate Students
1st place – Ezra Alcarez & Jacob Jones (Western Texas College - Snyder, TX)
2023 Awards
Oral Presentations | Graduate Students
1st place – Lauren Selph
2nd place – Megan Mills
3rd place (tie) – Shivani Kathi
3rd place (tie) – Lois Nwoko
Poster Presentations | Graduate Students
1st place – Megan Mills
2nd place – Lauren Selph
3rd place – Arjun Kafle
Poster Presentations | Undergraduate Students
1st place – Christian Stephens
2nd place (tie) – Nick Wilson
2nd place (tie) – Mei Gill
2022 Awards
Oral Presentations | Graduate Students
1st place – Maxwell Smith
2nd place – Leo D’Agostino
3rd place – Raavi Arora
Poster Presentations | Graduate Students
1st place – Chidinma Lois Nwoko
2nd place – Avinash Shrestha
3rd place – Manpreet Singh
Poster Presentations | Undergraduate Students
1st place – Danira Garcia Gutierrez
2nd place – Lee Fischel
3rd place – Justin Dawsey
2025 Presentations
| Oral Presentations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation of Highly Absorbent Porous Beads by dissolving MCC in NMMO | Houra Farkondehnia | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
| Transcriptomic Analysis of Arachis Hypogaea to Identify Genes Conferring Resistance To Meloidogyne Arenaria | Muskan Tiwari | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology | |
| Evaluating different herbicide programs in AxantTM Flex Cotton | Matthew 'Cole' Woolard | Crop Protection | |
| Repurposing Cottonseed Protein Isolate for the Development of Enhanced Guar Gum-Based Cryogels | Faisal Rahman | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
| Effect of High-Pressure CO2 Combined with Chemical Pretreatment on the Dissolution of Cotton Linter Cellulose | Amir Shahin Shamsabadi | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
| Using UAV Remote Sensing to Assess Cotton Cultivars for Water Stress Resistance in West Texas | Emily Weiber | Crop Science | |
| Growth and Reproduction of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) Under Different Water Stress Conditions | Gaganjot Singh Sodhi | Crop Science | |
| Greenhouse Gas Emission from A Cotton–Sorghum Rotation System | Mahjabin Ferdaous Mim | Soil Science | |
| A Comparison of Summer Annual Forages Grown Under Differing Irrigation and Nitrogen Treatments | Alondra Cruz | Crop Science | |
| Genotype- and Explant-Independent Sorghum Transformation and Understanding the Regeneration Mechanism | Pallavi | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology | |
| Impacts of Agricultural Land Uses on Playa Lake Soil Properties | Diego Arcelay Sánchez | Soil Science | |
| A Multi-Tactic Approach to Controlling Dicamba-Resistant Palmer Amaranth in Texas | Megan M. Singletary | Crop Protection | |
| FIGS for Cotton | Avinash Shrestha | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology | |
| Deciphering the Principles Regulating Stem Mechanical Design to Explore the Genetic Control of Lodging Tolerance in Sorghum | Mayank Bangari | Crop Science | |
| Soil Microbial Community Alteration and Reduced Nitrous Oxide Emissions with Legume Inclusion in Semi-Arid Pastures | Raavi Arora | Soil Science | |
| Genomic Regions and Haplotypes Controlling Pre-Harvest Sprouting in Grain Sorghum | Yusa Ichinose | Crop Science | |
| Assessing the Impact of Treated Produced Water on Soil Health and Forage Quality on Field Grown Alfalfa | Teja Saddapalli | Crop Science | |
| Characterization of hs1 as a Key Regulator of Heat Tolerance in Sorghum | Zhiyuan Liu | Crop Science | |
| Next-Gen Nylon: Powered by Chitin | Reshma Panackal Shibu | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
| Poster Presentations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessing the chemical compositional variability of sorghum varieties in semi-arid regions | Khusboo Agrawal | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
| Extraction and characterization of xylooligosaccharides from sorghum stover for dairycalf feed application | Anjana C. Sabu | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
| Assessing the efficiency of wastewater-derived struvite in enhancing soil phosphorus dynamics compared to crystal green and monoammonium phosphate (MAP) using soil incubation assays | Faith Alonge | Soil Science | |
| Optimizationof (XOS) extraction from southhigh-plains agricultural feedstock through microwave-assisted pretreatment | Derseh Yilie Limineh | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
| Does AxantTM Flex cotton response differ when various adjuvants are tank-mixed with topramezone + L-glufosinate? | Matthew 'Cole' Woolard | Crop Protection | |
| Outreach to promote entomology learning experiences in Texas’ high schools | Jill Forrest | Crop Protection | |
| Evaluation of topramezone with various PSII inhibitors | Andrea Caprini Sagirato | Crop Protection | |
| A genome-wide association study to identify QTLs for root system architecture traits in upland Cotton. | Micayla Lamb | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology | |
| How does urban residential landscape diversity impact soil microbial functional diversity? | Taylor Smith | Soil Science | |
| Vitamin C biofortification in lettuce for improved nutrition | Katerina M. Vargas | Horticulture & Turfgrass Science | |
| Growth and nutrient dynamics in Salanova lettuce: Evaluating biofortification potential in field and deep-water systems | Kaitlyn Stubbs | Horticulture & Turfgrass Science | |
| Native legume symbiosis in semi-arid ecosystems | Nicholas Wilson | Soil Science | |
| Sustainable weed control combinations in a reduced tillage organic cotton system | Megan M. Singletary | Crop Protection | |
| Seed coat-mediated dormancy in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) | Monjurul Huda | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology | |
| Network analysis of sorghum grain development to clarify the biosynthesis of starch, protein and oil | Guanyun Cheng | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology | |
| A morpho-physiological evaluation of a RIL population of upland cotton at seedling stag | Mohit Jain | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology | |
| Short term impacts of no-tillage, cover crops, and sorghum cotton rotation on soil-water dynamics | Lee Fischel | Soil Science | |
| FIGS: Climate-driven selection for drought resilience in upland cotton | Avinash Shrestha | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology | |
| Carbon capture in your backyard: Turfgrass biochar | Koby Nichols | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
| From waste to worth: The untapped power of spent mushroom substrate | Anagha Sunil | Fiber & Biopolymer Science | |
2024 Presentations
| Oral Presentations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Symphony of Symbiosis: A Single-Cell Transcriptomic Exploration of Soybean-Microbe Interactions | Leo D'Agostino | Ph.D. | Plant Molecular Genetics |
| Cotton yield and fiber quality responses to nitrogen rates, soil physicochemical properties, and topography | Rupak Karn | Ph.D. | Crop Science |
| Effect of different herbicides on soil health in the cotton production system | Jasleen Makkar | MS | Crop Science |
| Develop a deep learning tool to assess sink capacity in grain sorghum | Mayank Bangari | Ph.D. | Crop Science |
| Transcriptomic profiling of a hatching defective mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii | Matteo Tosoni | Ph.D. | Crop Science |
| Impact of the Knockout of Amylose Synthesis on Grain Quality in Sorghum: A Step Towards Comprehensive Understanding | Pallavi FNU | Ph.D. | Plant Molecular Genetics |
| Investigation of Cotton Fiber-to-Fiber Friction | Susmita Saha | MS | Cotton Fiber Quality |
| Effect of different biosolid-based fertilizers on selected soil chemical properties and growth of wheat (Triticum Aestivum) | Sandesh Bhatta | Ph.D. | Soil Science |
| First evidence of the presence of endofungal bacteria in orchid mycorrhizal fungi | Harshita Sharma | MS | Plant Ecology & Soil Science |
| Grazing Potential of Prussic Acid Free (PaF) Forage Sorghum and Pearl Millet Under Dryland and Irrigated Conditions | Alondra Cruz | Ph.D. | Forage Research |
| Poster Presentations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Effects on Nutrient Availability in Soils Impacted by Swine Wastewater under the Use of Hydrotalcite as a Soil Amendment in Different Environmental Conditions | Ezra Alcarez and Jacob Jones | B.S. | Agronomy (West Texas College) |
| Irrigation management effects soil C accumulation under long term compost application in semi-arid systems | Diego Arcelay Sanchez | MS | Soil Science |
| Effect of early and late POST emergence herbicides on weed suppression, crop injury, and biomass yield of industrial hemp | Preetaman Bajwa | MS | Agronomy |
| Soil Respiration Response to Moisture and Manure Addition with N Stabilizer | Noelia Curbelo-López | MS | Soil Science |
| Impact of Cover Crops, Tillage, and Cotton-Sorghum Rotation on Soil Water Dynamics: Challenges and Opportunities | Lee Fischel | MS | Agriculture Sciences |
| Addressing Pre-harvest Sprouting in Grain Sorghum by Integrating Seed Physiology and Genetics | Yusa Ichinose | MS | Forage Research |
| Impact of irrigation levels on herbicide activity in the cotton production system | Jasleen Makkar | MS | Crop Science |
| Elucidating the Role of Flavonoid Biosynthesis Molecules in Symbiotic Microbe Interaction | Lakshmi Venkat Sai Ram Nagalla | MS | Plant-Microbe Interactions |
| Assessing Precision Irrigation Management using Satellite Remote Sensing | Oluwatola Adedeji | Ph.D. | Precision Agriculture |
| Effect of planting date on cotton seedling emergence, yield and fiber quality | Zelalem Alemar | Ph.D. | Crop Science |
| Exploring Gene Regulation of Triacylglycerol Accumulation in Chlorella sorokiniana under Nitrogen and Phosphorus Deprivation | Claudio Barrera Duarte | Ph.D. | Genetic Regulation |
| Assessing the effects of hardwood biochar application on soil physical, chemical, and biological parameters in west Texas | Arjun Kafle | Ph.D. | Horticulture & Soil Science |
| Dynamic estimation of cotton nitrogen content through deep learning with unmanned aerial systems and satellite images | Rupak Karn | Ph.D. | Crop Science |
| Exploring the Impact of Aeroponic Nozzle Type on Carrot Growth and Root Architecture | Dario Rueda Kunz | Ph.D. | Horticulture |
| Optimizing cotton's root system architecture to improve adaptive response to water-deficit stress | Micayla Lamb | Ph.D. | Crop Science |
| Coupled Water and Energy Transport in the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum under a Semi-Arid Climate of West Texas | Xinying Ling | Ph.D. | Soil Science (Geosciences) |
| Characterization of hs1 as a key regulator of heat and drought tolerance in Sorghum | Zhiyuan Liu | Ph.D. | Plant Molecular Genetics |
| Effect of liquid and supercritical fluid CO2 on the dissolution of cotton liners | Amir Shahin Shamsabadi | Ph.D. | Fiber & Biopolymer Science |
| Effect of segregation distortion on genetic map construction | Avinash Shrestha | Ph.D. | Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology |
2023 Presentation Abstracts
| Oral Presentations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novel genetic variation for reduced glanding identified in the cotton landrace Hopi | Avinash Shrestha | PhD | Plant Breeding & Genetics | |
| Increasing vitamin C in arugula and broccoli microgreens | Shivani Kathi | PhD | Horticulture | |
| Influence of legume inclusion on greenhouse gas emissions from pasture systems in the Southern High Plains of Texas | Raavi Arora | PhD | Soil Science | |
| Axant™ Flex cotton response to Topramezone in the Texas High Plains | Megan Mills | MS | Weed Science | |
| Crop rotation and cover crop effects on soil moisture in a transitional organic system | Lauren Selph | PhD | Soil Science | |
| An improved method for protoplast isolation and gene-editing from soybean root, callus and transgenic hairy-roots | Lois Nwoko | MS | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
|
| Evaluating community garden signage and elements | Jonah Trevino | PhD | Horticulture | |
| Investigating adsorption capacities of WWTP products and their potential use as fertilizer | Katherine Coyle | MS | Soil Science | |
| Poster Presentations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigating a putative immune receptor specific to grapevine fanleaf virus strain GHu infection and symptom development | Cary Hicks | BS | Crop Science |
| Marker-assisted introgression of QTLs regulating number of grains and primary branching in rice towards yield improvement | Christian Stephens | BS | Plant Breeding & Genetics |
| Temperature and flooding impacts on nutrient release from soils treated with swine waste | Koy Stanley, Victoria Winkler, Aliah Cardenas |
BS | Crop Science / Soil Science |
| Genetic variation of stomatal density in corn | Madeline Jordan | BS | Horticulture |
| Soil physical quality indicators as affected by long-term pasture management practices | Mei Gill | BS | Soil Science |
| Effects of seed technology and microbial inoculums on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization in cotton | Nick Wilson | BS | Crop Science |
| Impact of cold stress on sphingolipid and glycerol lipid profile of upland cotton during seed germination (Gossypium hirsutum L.) | Bandana Osti | MS | Plant Breeding & Genetics |
| Palmer amaranth control with Isoxaflutole applied preplant incorporated or preemergence in cotton | Megan Mills | MS | Weed Science |
| Effect of planting dates and seeding densities on growth and yield of Industrial hemp in West Texas. | Preetaman Bajwa | MS | Crop Science |
| Nutrient niches of orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) | Sharandeep Chahal | MS | Plant Ecology & Conservation |
| Transcriptome analysis of high-temperature stress in sorghum seed development | Adil Khan | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
| Green microalgae as a source of biopesticides to improve agricultural practices | Alethia Brito-Bello | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
| Efficacy of neonicotinoid seed treatment under water-stress in cotton seedlings | Aqeela Sehrish | PhD | Horticulture |
| Effect of deficit irrigation and biochar application on growth, physiology, yield, and water productivity of cucumber in West Texas | Arjun Kafle | PhD | Horticulture |
| Tissue-culture-free genetic transformation and gene-editing in plants | Arjun Ojha Kshetry | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
| Deciphering the dynamics of sugarcane aphid resistance mechanism in sorghum | FNU Pallavi | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
| Development of a chemical switch to improve phosphorus assimilation and usage efficiency in plants | Hector-Rogelio Najera-Gonzalez | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
| Allelopathic cover crops for palmer amaranth control in a semi-arid organic system | Lauren Selph | PhD | Soil Science |
| Developing single nucleus transcriptome technology for the study of soybean root nodulation | Leonidas D'Agostino | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
| Synthetic tetraploidization as a strategy to face abiotic stresses in crops | Mylea Lovell | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
| Exogenous salicylic acid helps to mitigate saline stress in cotton | Sanjida Keya | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
| Develop PACE markers for waxy-sorghum Marker-Assisted Selection | Zhiyuan Liu | PhD | Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance |
2022 Presentation Abstracts
Department of Plant and Soil Science
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Address
Texas Tech University, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Box 42122, Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
806.742.2838 -
Email
psstechsupport@ttu.edu