Society-wide graduate student competitions | Science Societies

Society-wide graduate student competitions

January 7, 2022
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The 2021 SSSA and CSSA Society-Wide Graduate Student Competitions were an opportunity to highlight and showcase the top students from our CSSA and SSSA divisions. These unique competitions feature the top student winner from each division’s traditional contest. They advance to the Society-Wide Competition where they competed in a poster session and five-minute rapid oral session. To showcase the events and students, the competitions were held on the final day of the Annual Meeting, and results were announced at the closing reception.

There were significant prizes—each Society provided:

First place: $1,000 plus a 2022 Baltimore Annual Meeting registration (value of $300)

Second place: $750

Third place: $500

Congratulations to all winners and finalists!

CSSA Society-Wide Student Competition

Winners

First place: Rachel Veenstra, Kansas State University (Crop Ecology, Management, and Quality Division), Corn Tillers: Rethinking the “Sucker” Theory

Second place: Catherine Danmaigona, Texas A&M University (Crop Breeding and Genetics Division), Dissecting the Genome Structure of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp vasinfectum Race 4 Causing Devastating Losses in Cotton

Third place (tie): Megan Getz, Utah State University (Forage and Grazinglands Division), Genetic Association within a Late Flowering, Forage Orchardgrass Population, and Madigan Hawkins, University of Idaho (Plant Genetic Resources Division), The Role of the Transcription Factor SlNAC4 in Plant Morphological Development and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato

Finalists

  • Lakhvir Kaur, Texas Tech University (Seed Physiology, Production and Technology Division)
  • Noah Langenfeld, Utah State University (Crop Physiology and Metabolism Division)
  • Stephanie Rossi, Rutgers University (Turfgrass Science Division)

Thank You to the Judges

  • Shawn Kaeppler, University of Wisconsin–Madison, CSSA 2021 Past President
  • Chrissie Segars, Texas A&M University, CSSA Early Career Members Committee Vice-Chair
  • Sruthi Narayaman, Clemson University, CSSA Early Career Award Recipient
  • David Baltensperger, Texas A&M University, CSSA Past President

Organizing Committee

  • Joey Young (Chair), Texas Tech University
  • Paige Boyle, Utah State University
  • R. Scott Tubbs, University of Georgia–Tifton

SSSA Society-Wide Student Competition

Winners

First place: Marie Schaedel, University of Minnesota (Soil Biology and Biochemistry Division), Activity and Abundance of Soil Nitrogen Cycling Communities Associated with Climate-Smart Forages in Rwanda

Second place: Cam Anderson, University of Massachusetts (Soil Chemistry Division), Dynamic Nature of Mineral-Organic Associations across Redox-Active Floodplain Sediments

Third place (tie): Laura Alt, Iowa State University (Soils and Environmental Quality Division), Does Soil Vegetation Influence ARG Dissipation? and Elizabeth Bradley, Auburn University (Wetland Soils Division), The Impacts of Wild Pigs, Sus scrofa, on Nitrogen Dynamics in Southeastern Floodplain

Finalists

  • Akshara Athelly, Louisiana State University (Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Division)
  • Matthew Amato, Rutgers University (Soil Physics and Hydrology Division)
  • Chandima Wekumbura, Kansas State University (Urban and Anthropogenic Soils Division)
  • Logan Woodward, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Nutrient Management and Soil and Plant Analysis)

Thank You to the Judges

  • Ole Wendroth, Washington State University, SSSA Past President
  • Dana Ashford-Kornburger, Chair, Women in Science Committee
  • Samira Daroub, University of Florida, SSSA Fellow Recipient and ASF Board Member
  • Anthony Fulford, University of California, SSSA Early Career Members Committee Member
  • Rosa Muchovej, U.S. Sugar Corporation, SSSA Industry Member
  • Fatma Rekik, Cornell University, SSSA Early Career Award Recipient

Organizing Committee

  • Jason Ackerson (Chair), Soil Health Institute
  • Sarah Shawver, Virginia Tech and 2019 Competition Winner
  • Xia Zhu-Barker, University of California–Davis
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