Undergraduate students network, compete, learn, and have fun at CANVAS 2025 | Science Societies

Undergraduate students network, compete, learn, and have fun at CANVAS 2025

December 19, 2025
Students presenting posters during CANVAS 2025 in Salt Lake City.
Students presenting posters during CANVAS 2025 in Salt Lake City.

Saturday evening

The Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences (SASES) program opened this year with a new program orientation session, where students had an opportunity to meet the SASES National Officers, hear an overview of events planned for the week, and meet Society staff.

Sunday

The student social at CANVAS 2025 featured dancing fueled by a professional DJ and refreshments.

Undergraduates were able to choose from three different tour itineraries this year. Each tour went to an industry-related venue to learn more about agricultural processes, and depending on which tours students selected, they had the opportunity to explore either the natural Utah landscape and the museum or continue exploring more of the agricultural industry that Utah has to offer.

In the evening, following the Opening Keynote and Reception, the student social took place at the Marriott. Along with dancing fueled by a professional DJ and refreshments, undergraduates and graduate students had the chance to break away from the conference and interact in a casual environment. 

Monday 

The first full day of SASES programming began with the SASES Business Meeting where students reviewed their accomplishments over the past year and candidate selections for the 2025 election and voted on a new title for the undergraduate newsletter.

The SASES keynote speaker was Dr. Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, the President of Field to Market and a sixth-generation farmer, who gave a talk on how to “love, learn, and lead” for the students.

Monday afternoon featured a number of competitions: the brand-new Agronomic Issues Contest was introduced this year where SASES clubs were challenged to give presentations on large-scale problems and potential solutions for these problems. This was followed by Pedology Contest, Research Symposium Oral and Poster Contests, and then the “Pretzels with the Presidents” event where students had a soft pretzel and chatted with leaders in the Societies. 

Monday evening ended with the SASES Quiz Bowl where 26 teams competed for the SASES Quiz Bowl trophy. 

Twenty-six teams competed for the SASES Quiz Bowl trophy at CANVAS 2025. 

Tuesday

Tuesday morning kicked off with the SASES elections where club delegates voted the 2026 SASES National Officers into office. 

Contest opportunities on Tuesday included the Crops Judging Contest (which saw a year of record participation!) and the SASES Presidents Trophy Contest. Contests were followed by the Undergraduate Networking Session in the afternoon where students were provided with the opportunity to speak in a round-table format with industry members, graduate students, certified professionals (CCA/CPSS), and Society leadership

Finally, the CANVAS 2025 SASES program concluded Tuesday evening with the SASES Awards Dinner where student contest finalists were honored with certificates among their peers. 

 

At the SASES Awards Dinner, student contest finalists were honored with certificates among their peers. 

 

2025 SASES contest winners 

First—Elliot Nimmer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Second—Abigail Guza, Michigan State University
Third—Arianna Reid, Michigan State University

Team

First—Kansas State Crop Cats

Individual

First—Quinten Bina, Kansas State University
Second—Landon Albrecht, Kansas State University
Third—Ashlynn Hartman, Kansas State University
Fourth—Abe Dieleman, Iowa State University
Fifth—Brandon Boyd, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sixth—Benton Kerr, Kansas State University

Session I

First—Pedro Zolin, University of Georgia-Athens
Second—Colten Nichols, University of Arkansas
Third—Shelby Andre, West Virginia University

Session II

First—Jacob Wittmer, University of Tennessee–Knoxville
Second—Lucas Peranzoni Deponti, University of Georgia–Athens
Third—Chloe Tilley, Texas A&M University

Session I

First—Jaymee Renfro-Dubovich, Kansas State University
Second—Natalie Rice, University of Idaho
Third—Sarah Siegle, North Carolina State University

Session II

First—Ezra Larsen, Brigham Young University
Second—Ruby Sannar, Brigham Young University
Third—Dalen Theobald, University of Idaho

Session III

First—Austin Meade, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Second—Kate Good, University of Wyoming
Third—Quinten Bina, Kansas State University

Session IV

First—Andrea Padilla, Western Illinois University
Second—Elizabeth Scales, Texas A&M University
Third—Allison Lynch, Iowa State University

Session V

First—Morgan Wlaschin, University of California-Davis
Second—Abigael Villeneuve, University of Arkansas
Third—Maria Dold, Auburn University

First—Ayden Castillo, Texas A&M University
Second—Audrey Martin, Michigan State University
Third—Steven Bachelor, Oklahoma State Univer

First—Iowa State University
Second—Auburn State University
Third—Kansas State University

Texas A&M University

Connor Eversole, Illinois State University

First—University of Illinois
Second—Michigan State University
Third—North Carolina State University

First—Seth Cope, Texas Tech University
Second—Molly Tephra, Oregon State University
Third—Aubine Zaro, Oregon State University

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