Fall 2026 Seminar Series
Aug 27 – HORT 509/510 Course Introduction
Instructors: Stephen Ficklin & Carolina Torres
Sep 3 – Applications of AI in Post-Harvest Assessment
Stephen Ficklin – Associate Professor of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics – Department of Horticulture at Washington State University
Sep 10 – From Breeding Vegetables to Fruits: Challenges and Opportunities
Germán Sandoya-Miranda – Associate Professor of Breeding and Genetics – Department of Horticulture at Washington State University
Sep 17 – Banana Aroma and Its Biosynthetic Paradox
Phil Engelgau – Fruit Biochemist – Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research, USDA ARS, Wenatchee, WA.
Sep 24 – Title TBD
Navneet Kaur – Postdoctoral Research Associate – Department of Viticulture & Enology at Washington State University
Oct 1 – Title TBD
Sanjaya Gyawali – Sakata Seed America,
Oct 8 – Title TBD
Francisco (Paco) Gonzalez – USDA ARS Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit.
Oct 15 – Rooting pears: Understnading adventitous root development in recalcitrant (stubborn) genus
Jessica Waite – Pear Genetics and Genomics – Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research, USDA ARS, Wenatchee, WA.
Oct 22 – Title TBD
Chris Cook – Postdoctoral Research Associate – Department of Horticulture, Washington State University
Oct 29 – Title TBD
Leslie Vite-Shafer – HORT 510 Student Presentation
Nov 5 – Title TBD
Tim Waters – Professor of Extension and Regional Vegetable Specialist – Washington State University
Nov 12 – Integrating Postharvest Biology and Machine Learning to Understand Plant Tissue Senescence
Tie Liu – Associate Professor of Postharvest Biology -Department of Horticultural Sciences at the University of Florida.
Nov 19 – The Resilience Toolkit
Arielle Beauvoir – Cougar Health Services, Counseling & Psychological Services
Nov 26 – Thanksgiving Break – No Seminar
Dec 3 – From Harvest to Waste: The Hidden Battle Against Postharvest Rots
Achala KC – Associate Professor of Tree fruit and Wine Grape Pathology – Department of Biology and Plant Pathology – Oregon State University
Dec 10 – TBD
Time and Location
Thursdays, 2:55 – 3:45 PM. In-person attendance at:
- Pullman: Clark 151
- Tri-Cities: TFLO 202
- Mt. Vernon NWREC: ARTB 115
- Wenatchee TFREC: Stockwell Room
- Prosser IAREC: AgTech Bldg Classroom
- Puyallup REC: Kalkus 109A
Remote Attendance
Anyone is welcome to attend the seminar in person at the locations listed above or via video conference. Please contact the seminar organizers for a Zoom link if you cannot attend in person.
More Information
For more information about this semester’s seminar series please contact one of the following individuals: