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Penn State soil expert wraps up Spring Seminar Series

Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks at the final SANS Spring Seminar.
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks on ecology of suppressive soils at the final School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences spring seminar on April 30, 2026. Photos by Kara Nuzback/UMES Ag Communications
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks at the final SANS Spring Seminar.
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks on ecology of suppressive soils at the final School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences spring seminar on April 30, 2026. Photos by Kara Nuzback/UMES Ag Communications
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks at the final SANS Spring Seminar.
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks on ecology of suppressive soils at the final School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences spring seminar on April 30, 2026. Photos by Kara Nuzback/UMES Ag Communications
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks at the final SANS Spring Seminar.
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks on ecology of suppressive soils at the final School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences spring seminar on April 30, 2026. Photos by Kara Nuzback/UMES Ag Communications
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks at the final SANS Spring Seminar.
Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, speaks on ecology of suppressive soils at the final School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences spring seminar on April 30, 2026. Photos by Kara Nuzback/UMES Ag Communications
The audience applauds at the final SANS spring seminar of 2026.
The audience applauds after presentation by Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an assistant professor at Penn State, at the final School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences spring seminar on April 30, 2026. Photos by Kara Nuzback/UMES Ag Communications

Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, an associate professor of phytobiomes and Huck Early Career chair in Microbial Community Ecology at Penn State, wrapped up the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences 2026 Spring Seminar Series on April 30. HIs presentation focused on “The Ecology of Suppressive Soils: Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture.” His research integrates microbial ecology, plant physiology, and bioinformatics to address fundamental and applied challenges in the optimal practices of agriculture. 

Past Seminars

DateSpeakerTopic
April 30, 2026Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, Penn StateThe Ecology of Suppressive Soils: Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture.
April 9, 2026Tony Pipa, Brookings InstitutionReimagining Rural: A Blueprint for Keeping Rural Communities Vital.
Feb. 19 , 2026Dr. Inty Omar Hernandez de Lira, University of Maryland Eastern ShoreFrom Wild Relatives to the Farm: Breeding Disease-Resistant Tomatoes.
March 5, 2026Dr. Eloisa Vendemiatti, West Virginia State UniversityType-IV Trichomes and Acylsugars: Translating Natural Defense into Breeding Tools.
SANS Seminars 2025

DateSpeakerTopic
Nov. 20, 2025Dr. Rimnoma Serge Ouedraogo, Penn State UniversityGlobal Crop Health Challenges: Bridging Innovation, Research, and Sustainable Solutions for Food Security.
Nov. 13, 2025Edward Goodman, horticulturist and owner of Goodman LLC.A Career Rooted in Sustainability: My Journey in Horticulture.
Nov. 6, 2025Dr. Daniel Rodriguez Leal, University of Maryland, College ParkNext-gen Trait Improvement: Engineering Quantitative Traits Using Genome Editing.
Oct. 30, 2025Dr. Million Tadege, Oklahoma State UniversityMolecular insight into the control of leaf blade development in legumes.
Oct. 16, 2025Dr. Maureen Lehto Brewster, University of Maryland Eastern ShoreFollowing Fascist Aesthetics With(in) ‘Conservative Girl Makeup’ on TikTok.
Oct. 9, 2025Dr. Katrina Pagenkopp Lohan, Coastal Disease Ecology Laboratory, Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterDrivers Altering Host-Parasite Interactions in Coastal Ecosystems.
April 29, 2025Dr. Carolyn Brooks, UMES Faculty Member Emerita and former dean of School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences135 Years of the Second Morrill Act: Shaping Land-grant Universities and HBCUs.
April 15, 2025Dr. Aleaya Bowie, University of Maryland, College ParkFrom Student to Veterinarian: The Power of Mentorship, Networking and Keeping an Open Mind.
April 10, 2025Dr. Ayobami Ogunmolasuyi, Bain & Co.Navigating Success: From UMES to the Ivy League and Beyond into Consulting.
March 13, 2025Dr. Michelle Spencer, University of Maryland Eastern ShoreAdult Learning Theory and the Non-traditional Student.
March 6, 2025Terrence Frett, Lead Plant Breeder, Wish Farms of FloridaBerry, Berry Tasty! Breeding berries and small fruit for Improved flavor and disease resistance.
Feb. 27, 2025Dr. Suprakash Sinha Ray, Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South AfricaPLA-based Bioplastics for a Circular Plastic Economy: Advantages and Challenges.
Feb. 13, 2025Dr. Dia-Eldin A. Elnaiem, University of Maryland Eastern ShoreMoon Talk: The Impact of Lunar Cycle on the Nocturnal Activity Rhythm of an Insect Vector of a Killing Disease.

SANS seminars 2024

DateSpeakerTopic
Nov. 14, 2024Dr. Salem Al Mosleh, University of Maryland Eastern ShoreGetting in Shape: From Beaks to Batteries
Oct. 24, 2024Dr. Samira Musah, Duke UniversityUncovering Human Disease Mysteries with Stem Cell and Organ Chip Models
Oct. 17, 2024Dr. Indranath Chaudhuri, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, IndiaPattern Formation in Nature
Oct. 10, 2024Dr. Stephen Tomasetti, University of Maryland Eastern ShoreShellfish Stories
Oct. 3, 2024Dr. Yvon Woappi, Columbia UniversityDeveloping High-Throughput Wound Organoids for Human-relevant Injury Modeling
Sept. 12, 2024Dr. Anil N. Netravali, Cornell UniversityAdvanced Green Composites
May 9, 2024Dr. Jonica Thompson, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceCommon Poultry Diseases on the Eastern Shore
May 2, 2024Margaret “Marnie” Pepper, USDA APHISUnderstanding and Managing Wildlife Conflicts
April 11, 2024Margaret Zeigler, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on AgricultureFeeding the Americas and the World: Bridges for Agricultural Cooperation
Feb. 15, 2024Dr. Habilou Ouro-Koura,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory		From Student Lab to National Research Lab
Feb. 22, 2024Dr. Aaron Persad, UMES Engineering Dept.Space Food to Space Suit
Mar. 7, 2024Dr. Birendra Adhikari, Idaho National LaboratoryMembrane Separation: Technology Needed to Reach Net-Zero
Mar. 14, 2024Dr. Naveen Dixit, UMES SANSUMES Horticulture: Advancements in Teaching, Research and Extension

SANS seminars 2023

DateSpeakerTopic
March 15, 2023Dr. Deborah SauderFirst Measurement of Ambient Air Quality on the Rural Lower Eastern Shore
April 5, 2023Dr. Jimmy W. SmithOpportunities and Challenges in International Agriculture Development
April 19, 2023Dr. Charles R. PowleyChallenges in the Analysis of PFAS in the Environment
April 27, 2023Dr. L. MahadevanMagic, Mystery, and Mathematics in the Mundane
Sept. 13, 2023Dr. Richard KaneExploring the Synthesis and Energy Storage Applications of Graphene
Sept. 20, 2023Dr. Catherine A. RichterMolecular biology in environmental science:
Discovery of de novo thiaminase synthesis in fish,
and defining the range of a rare and cryptic fish with environmental DNA
Sept. 27, 2023Dr. Kausiksankar Das, SANS, UMESTechnology in the classroom (virtual reality and cellphone)
Oct. 11, 2023Ray Baughman, University of Texas at DallasGive it a twist: How artificial muscles harvest mechanical energy
Oct. 25, 2023Dr. Malinda Cecil, UMESA Food Culture Tour of the Republic of Ireland and the Challenges of Food Sustainability
Nov. 8, 2023Trevor Michaels, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceHow conservation detection dogs
are used for wildlife management
Nov. 29, 2023Dr. Melissa A. Cregger, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryHow harnessing plant-microbe interactions builds sustainable ecosystems.
Dec. 6, 2023Dr. Carrie A.M. Laboski, USDA-ARS
Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit in University Park, PA.		Sustainable Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate Decisions Tools for
Corn Production: A Midwestern Approach

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