Ellison Lab Graduate Research Assistants Receive Travel Grants for 2025 NAPB Annual Meeting in Hawaii!

Congratulations to Ellison Lab Graduate Research Assistants, Jillian McGee, Rebecca Arias and Carter Prillaman, who were all awarded travel grants to attend the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) Conference in Kona, Big Island, Hawaii this past May!

The NAPB annual meeting provides unique opportunities for private and public sector plant breeders and students to network and build professional relationships. Experts from 40+ crops shared innovative breeding strategies and discuss emerging technologies to advance the science of crop improvement. A result of their efforts, all three students applied for, and received, $800 from our departmental student travel award fund to help cover costs associated with the conference. If that was not enough, Carter and Rebecca also received an additional $1000 via the NAPB Travel Award fund to mitigate travel and lodging costs. Kudos to you all for going above and beyond!

Dr. Ellison, Jill, Rebecca, Carter attended the conference and presented their research findings on behalf of the Ellison Lab and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Here is what our lab had to say about their experience:

Carter traveled to the NAPB annual meeting this year to compete in the poster competition, to make new connections, and to learn more about the forefront of knowledge on plant breeding. Carter presented findings from his research via a poster entitled “Dissecting the Genetic Architecture of Anthocyanin Accumulation in Cannabis sativa”.  Speaking on the conference, Carter said “I am extremely grateful to have been able to not only visit family while there, but to have had the privilege of listening to so many brilliant and accomplished speakers as well. I learned a lot about indigenous and sustainable planting systems, genomics, phenomics and many more throughout the week. Overall, that was an excellent conference in a beautiful locale that was a joy to attend.”

Jillian, whose poster presentation was entitled “Genetic Architecture Underpinning Agronomic Trait Variability in Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)” said that “walking into NAPB is like walking into summer camp. It’s a week-long adventure exploring your greatest passions, brushing shoulders with the biggest and brightest in the field, and making lifelong connections and collaborations. Without fail the opportunity is inspiring; being on the Big Island of Hawaii only added to this feeling. We had the opportunity to try tropical crops, explore local farms, watch manta rays feed, and learn in workshops and sessions. This conference, in particular, felt tailor made to my interests, with days on indigenous agriculture, exotic germplasm, high throughput phenomics, and breeding for sustainable systems and non-yield traits. These topics are paramount to my research and personal interests in breeding, agriculture, and science as a whole!”

Rebecca, sharing her work on “Development and Validation of Molecular Markers for Aphanomyces Root Rot Resistance in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)” attended this conference for the third time, stating “I can confidently say that it is a must-go for any plant breeder! It’s a chance to get to be in the same room as other plant breeders across the country, and, well, talk. Make friends, see familiar faces, make connections, and share the enthusiasm of what we do with others in our field. This meeting is also incredible as a learning experience; not only with what you can garner from colleagues working in your area, but from others working towards different goals. Sometimes, all you need is a different perspective, and NAPB makes it possible to have those conversations in a way that feels inclusive and personal.”

Dr. Shelby Ellison also presented findings from her research in a talk entitled, “It Starts with a Seed: Cannabis Collection,
Characterization & Compliancy.” This presentation was the focus of a recent SeedWorld article, which can be found here!

Thank you to Shelby, Carter, Jillian, and Rebecca for all of your hard work!