Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 FFAR Fellows Lightning Talk Competition!
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Fellows, the FFAR Fellows, are 228 PhD students from 53 different universities across the U.S. and Canada studying agronomy, food science, genomics, biosystems engineering, and a dozen other fields in food and agriculture.
What brings these graduate students together? The desire to work with others to address the grand challenges in food and agriculture while building the teamwork, leadership, and change-making skills needed to meet those challenges. The annual FFAR Fellows Lightning Talk Competition is a way for fellows to create and practice their science communication skills in a supportive peer-mentorship environment, and then share their talks with the public. A committee of science professionals selects the winners.
To learn more about the FFAR Fellows, funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and industry and other sponsors, and managed by the College of Agriculture and Life Science at NC State University, explore our website FFARFellows.org and follow us on social (see links at the top of the page).
First Place
Maize Diversity Brings Back Adaptability
By Joseph DeTemple, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Second Place
The Soil Blender: Is Intense Farming Erasing Nature’s Rarest Helpers?
By Debarshi Dasgupta, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Third Place
The Bready-y Bunch: Meet the Gluten Proteins Behind Celiac Disease
By Maria Rottersman, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Other Participants in the 2026 Competition
Corn That Holds What It’s Given
By Sakshi Paudel, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
A Grass That Sleeps So the Gulf Can Breathe
By Vipul Kumar, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Hidden in Satellite Signals is the Story of How We Care for Our Soil
By Leticia Santos, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Drop It Like It’s H.O.T; Herbicide Organic Treatments for Cotton Defoliation
By Megan Singletary, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
When Every Hour Matters: Building Capacity for Food Traceability
By Hema Lingireddy, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Nurserybot Can Automate Redundant Agricultural Labor Tasks
By Hamid Syed, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Where Can We Grow: Machine Learning Can Help Predict the Future of U.S. Corn and Soybean
By Harrison Smith, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
The Agriculture Avengers May Save Soil, and Us
By Sarah Brickman, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Deciphering the Identity of a Chocolate Killer
By Alex Fast, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Banking on Soil: The Hidden Economy Behind Every Harvest
By Tayin Wang, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Nutrition Builds Healthier Calves
By Paiton McDonald, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Predictable Prices for Healthier Habits
By Beatrice Robson, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Saving the Honey Bees? It Starts with Varroa Mite Management
By Rogan Tokach, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Cultivar Root Microbiomes Leave a Legacy in the Soil
By Melissa Vergara, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Rain Matters, But So Does What You Spray; Thrips Control Efficacy in Cotton
By Laissa Cavallini, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Listening to Leaves: What Sap Analysis Tells Us About Plant Health
By Selivin Carrillo, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Foods That Fight: Bioactives in the Bovine Immune System
By Haylee Reisinger, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Agricultural Challenges Require a Place-Based Approach
By Jessica Mehre, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
Something Stinks in the Crop Field: Here’s How to Catch It
By Taynara Possebom, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow
How Do Salts Move? Understanding Chloride Cycling in Avocado Orchards
By Jesse Landesman, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow