Participants:

Olivia A. Asher: "Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and their Endobacteriain a Bioenergy Sorghum System"

Muneeb Elahi Malik: "Crying Over Onions, Not Weeds"

Neha Thakur: "Cross-Talk Between Immunity and Regeneration in Plants: Role of Cell Surface Receptors"

Sangram Singh Sandhu: "Micropropagation of Rain-Split Tolerant Rabbiteye Blueberries"

Srijana Pandey: "Growing More from Less: Micropropagation of Piedmont Azalea"

The UGA Plant Center Spring Symposium 2026 will feature a Lightning Talk Competition.

The competition is open to all UGA Undergraduate, Graduate students, and Post Docs. Applications will be selected based on abstract merit. We will reach out to you a week before the symposium to solicit your slide presentation.

Format: 

• One single static slide (no videos or animations) 16:9 dimensions

• Two minutes per presentation (anything longer will result in being disqualified)

• No props allowed

• Spoken word presentations only 

Eligibility:

• Graduate students

• Post-doc

• Undergrad

Judging criteria: 

• Inclusion of clear background

• Logical presentation flow

• Clear wording used (ie no jargon)

• Sticking to time limits

• Effective use of slide

• Enthusiastic communication 

Prizes:

• Surprise

Deadline to register: April 13, 2026. Register at the link below!

Please note, you must be registered for the Plant Center Spring Symposium to participate in the Lightning Talk Competition. Registration information here.