Clemson University announces its Spring 2026 ENT/PES Seminar Series, welcoming a diverse group of guest speakers who bring valuable perspectives from across academia and industry.
The series runs from January through April. Seminars will be held beginning at 1:25 p.m. on Fridays in BRC G100 and via Zoom.
This season’s speakers include colleagues from the University of Pretoria, Utah State University, University of Arizona, University of Florida and GrowLiv Biologicals, along with Clemson University Research Foundation and Plant and Environmental Sciences Department. Topics will span technology transfer, plant physiology, breeding, nematology, insect systematics, vector biology, biological control and applied entomology.
Dates and speakers for the Spring 2026 ENT/PES Seminar Series are:
Jan. 16 – Thava Thavarajah and Andy Bluvas, CURF, Clemson University, CURF Explained: Technology Transfer and NSF Resources for Faculty and Graduate Students. In-Person and Zoom.
Jan. 23 – Jaco Greeff, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Stuck on the Slopes of Mount Improbable: Maladapted Sex Ratios in a Fig Wasp. Zoom only.
Jan. 30 – Bruce Bugbee, Department of Plants, Soils and Climate, Utah State University. The physics of farming without sunlight. In-person and Zoom.
Feb. 6 – Ashish Saxena, director Global Maize Program, CIMMYT. Saxena uses science not as an end in itself, but as a powerful tool to improve farmer livelihoods, strengthening food systems not only in North America but also across several vulnerable communities in Global South. Ashish provides leadership to a global team of more than 200 scientists across three continents, stewarding a portfolio to deliver climate-resilient maize innovations that directly benefit millions of smallholder farmers. In‑Person and Zoom.
Feb. 13 – Zane Grabau, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida. Out with the old: Successes and failures with new nematode management tools in field crops. In-Person and Zoom.
Feb. 20 – Akito Kawahara, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida. Evolution of Anti‑Bat Defenses in Moths: Sonar Jamming, Acoustic Deflection, and Visual Lures. In‑Person and Zoom.
Feb. 27 – Patrick Wechter, director of the Clemson University Coastal Research and Education Center. Zoom only.
March 6 – Lauren Diepenbrock, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida. So Many Pests, So Little Time: A Discussion of Invasive Invertebrate Pest Challenges in Florida Citrus. Zoom only.
March 13 – Zoe Dubrow from Pairwise in Durham, N.C. Topic TBD. In-Person and Zoom.
March 27 – Abida Nasreen, GrowLiv Biologicals. For Nature, by Nature; Advancing Sustainable Agriculture. For Nature, by Nature; Advancing Sustainable Agriculture. In‑Person and Zoom.
April 3 – Churamani Khanal, PES, Clemson University. Addressing Nematode Issues in South Carolina and Beyond. In-Person and Zoom.
April 10 – Lance Osborne, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida. In‑Person and Zoom.
April 17 – Student proposals, Clemson University.
April 24 – Student proposals, Clemson University.
This series is organized by Linda Tindal, Zee Ahmed and Sruthi Narayanan. It is part of both ENT 8090 and PES 4550/8250 and is open to all who are interested in learning and connecting.
