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

2026-08-27T22:15:11-04:00

Maize Diversity Brings Back Adaptability

By Joseph DeTemple, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

Second Place

2026-08-27T22:11:17-04:00

The Soil Blender: Is Intense Farming Erasing Nature’s Rarest Helpers?

By Debarshi Dasgupta, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

Third Place

2026-08-27T22:16:58-04:00

The Bready-y Bunch: Meet the Gluten Proteins Behind Celiac Disease

By Maria Rottersman, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

Other Participants in the 2026 Competition

2026-08-27T22:27:05-04:00

Corn That Holds What It’s Given

By Sakshi Paudel, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:24:41-04:00

A Grass That Sleeps So the Gulf Can Breathe

By Vipul Kumar, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:31:53-04:00

Hidden in Satellite Signals is the Story of How We Care for Our Soil

By Leticia Santos, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:48:03-04:00

Drop It Like It’s H.O.T; Herbicide Organic Treatments for Cotton Defoliation

By Megan Singletary, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:40:26-04:00

When Every Hour Matters: Building Capacity for Food Traceability

By Hema Lingireddy, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:52:08-04:00

Nurserybot Can Automate Redundant Agricultural Labor Tasks

By Hamid Syed, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:49:19-04:00

Where Can We Grow: Machine Learning Can Help Predict the Future of U.S. Corn and Soybean

By Harrison Smith, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:34:11-04:00

The Agriculture Avengers May Save Soil, and Us

By Sarah Brickman, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:23:23-04:00

Shockingly New Weed Control

By Ryan Hamberg, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:37:53-04:00

Deciphering the Identity of a Chocolate Killer

By Alex Fast, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:29:25-04:00

Banking on Soil: The Hidden Economy Behind Every Harvest

By Tayin Wang, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:41:33-04:00

Nutrition Builds Healthier Calves

By Paiton McDonald, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:46:43-04:00

Predictable Prices for Healthier Habits

By Beatrice Robson, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:52:58-04:00

Saving the Honey Bees? It Starts with Varroa Mite Management

By Rogan Tokach, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:30:31-04:00

A Tale of Two Shirts

By Shalini Etukuri, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:54:00-04:00

Cultivar Root Microbiomes Leave a Legacy in the Soil

By Melissa Vergara, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:36:45-04:00

Rain Matters, But So Does What You Spray; Thrips Control Efficacy in Cotton

By Laissa Cavallini, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:35:24-04:00

Listening to Leaves: What Sap Analysis Tells Us About Plant Health

By Selivin Carrillo, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:44:45-04:00

Foods That Fight: Bioactives in the Bovine Immune System

By Haylee Reisinger, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:42:56-04:00

Agricultural Challenges Require a Place-Based Approach

By Jessica Mehre, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:28:15-04:00

Something Stinks in the Crop Field: Here’s How to Catch It

By Taynara Possebom, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow

2026-08-27T22:39:04-04:00

How Do Salts Move? Understanding Chloride Cycling in Avocado Orchards

By Jesse Landesman, 2024-2027 FFAR Fellow