The CANVAS Annual Meeting, hosted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, once again brought together thousands of researchers, students, and professionals dedicated to advancing crop, soil, and environmental sciences. This year’s conference offered hundreds of sessions, student competitions, workshops, and invaluable networking opportunities and our students and labs truly shined.
Lab & Student Successes - Award-Winning Presentations
We are thrilled to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of several presenters who were highlighted for their exceptional work:
Brian Miller – Award-winning presentation for his work on Effects of Autonomous vs. Conventional Mowing on Weeds in Cool-Season Lawns (additional contributors on the work include Alyssa I. Essman, David S. Gardner, and Tyler Q. Carr).
Thoughts from Brian:
- On winning: "I was excited to win my competition, I have never presented at this meeting before so I was happy with how it turned out and I am thankful for the help and advice I was given."
- On highlights: "Some of the highlights of this meeting for me were getting to hear about current research being completed around the nation as well as hearing other Ohio State students and faculty speak about their research projects."
- On the most interesting thing learned: "I don't think I can pinpoint one specific research project I found the most interesting but listening to other's speak about their autonomous mower research as well as how drones are being used in the turfgrass industry was interesting to me."
Tyler VanLandingham – Award-winning presentation for his work on Examining the Use of Thermal Imaging to Modernize Auditing Turfgrass Irrigation Systems.
Thoughts from Tyler:
- On winning: "Being recognized for a presentation isn't usually on my list of priorities, but this one felt good. When you're working on a novel idea and creating everything from scratch, it is easy to feel like you're doing something wrong, missing something, or your idea really isn't even that good. So it is nice for me to see that those much smarter than me see value in my idea and what I am working on."
- On highlights: "The highlights of these meetings for me are the ability to connect with other researchers, share ideas, and develop relationships with other grad students and faculty. It is always reassuring that other people are going through similar challenges as you and being able to share ideas how they work through them is a great point of connection and development at these meetings."
Prabath Senanayaka Mudiyanselage – Award-winning presentation for his work on Delayed Harvest Effects on Yield and Harvest Losses of Soybean Across Multiple Growing Regions.
Thoughts from Prabath:
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On winning: "It feels great to have won first place for my presentation in the Applied Soybean Research Community session. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my findings with peers and experts in the field, and would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Laura Lindsey, for all the guidance and support, and my awesome lab mates for always having my back!"
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On highlights: "We had a great time attending presentations, discussions and posters, listening to what our peers and experts had to say about their research. It was a great chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. We also carved out some time to explore the beautiful state of Utah, which I got to visit for the first time!"
Jonathan Moore - Award winning presentation for his work on Planting Date and Nitrogen Rate Interactions to Maximize Yield and Profitability in Soft Red Winter Wheat.
Thoughts from Jonathan:
- On winning: "Feels great. My defense was two weeks before the CANVAS meeting in Salt Lake City. Though the majority of my focus over the past few months was on my defense, I still put an emphasis on allocating time to work on my presentation for CANVAS to ensure I was properly prepared."
- On highlights: "Over the years I have made a lot of connections with agronomists and graduate students from other universities. We see each other at events throughout the year, but those are typically short in duration and do not give us adequate time to really talk and catch up. The CANVAS meeting takes places over 4 days, and one part that I really enjoy is that there are social events throughout the week that give us the opportunity to gather and network."
These recognitions reflect the high caliber of research and dedication within our community.
Lauren’s Big Win in Extension Education
A huge congratulations to Lauren Geiss, a student of Dr. Emma Matcham, who won the Extension Education Student Competition for both her flash talk and her poster. Lauren’s dual win demonstrates not only strong research, but the ability to communicate science clearly and impactfully, a key skill in extension work.
Amy Hurst receives bridge scholar award
A big congratulations goes to Amy Hurst, a grad student pursuing her Master's under Dr. Fernanda Krupek, who was selected as a 2025 Bridge Scholar at this year's CANVAS event! Luckily, Amy had a minute to tell us about what this means to her...
What are your thoughts on receiving the Bridge Scholar Award?
It was a huge honor to receive this award, especially to be included in the cohort of 7 other very impressive students who were also 2025 Bridge Scholars. The scholarship to attend the CANVAS meeting will allow the Innovative Food Systems Team in Dr. Krupek's lab to continue to put resources into expanding the research we are working on in sustainable urban agriculture.
What were some highlights of CANVAS for you?
CANVAS 2025 highlights included presenting my research in the Urban Soil Symposium, meeting many very talented and hardworking graduate students from around the world, hearing talks by our OSU HCS students and faculty, and attending symposiums on LGBTQ agronomic scientists and allyship, smallholder agriculture in Africa and Asia, and urban soils.
What’s one of the most interesting things you learned at CANVAS?
Recycled urban debris can be used to replace sand when building rain gardens
How’s your research and grad school going currently?
My field research completes in December 2025, and I'm TA'ing for two classes Spring semester 2026, finishing lab soil analysis, and working on data analysis and thesis writing.
Closing thoughts
Thank you to Dr. Fernanda Krupek for your support and guidance with attending and presenting my research at CANVAS, and to Dr. Osler Ortez, Dr. Doug Karcher, Dr. Eugene Law, Dr. Emma Matchem, Dr. Alex Lindsey, and our OSU HCS grad student crew who all supported me and each other at the event.
Crops & Soils Club - Student Participation & Competition Success
Ten students represented tOSU in the Crops Judging Contest, and the club also competed in the Quiz Bowl and the Agronomic Issues Presentation Contest. These events are highly competitive and serve as powerful hands-on learning opportunities for future agronomists.
Reflections from Club President Sarah Hoak - (Sustainable Agriculture Student, Anticipated Graduation 2026)
On successes:
“We had 10 students compete in the Crops Judging contest, participated in the Quiz Bowl competition, and represented tOSU in the Agronomic Issues presentation contest.”
On meeting highlights:
“It’s always a highlight to connect with old and new friends. We love getting to put our agronomy knowledge to the test, but we also learn so much by speaking with other students and industry professionals throughout the conference.”
On the most interesting thing learned:
Sarah shared that participating in the Agronomic Issues contest opened their eyes to regional agricultural challenges.
“For example, we learned from North Carolina State University’s agronomy club that the peanut industry's processing equipment is extremely outdated and is a major struggle for peanut farmers and processors in their region.”
On the value of CANVAS:
“Getting to attend the CANVAS annual meetings has shaped every one of our undergraduate experiences. We learn and grow as future agronomists and agriculturalists, but we also develop as people. We would like to thank everyone who supports the Crops and Soils Club and makes it possible for us to attend conferences like these!”
A Community Moment
A vibrant group photo capturing the energy, camaraderie, and excitement shared by our students and faculty throughout the event.
Why CANVAS Matters
The CANVAS conference continues to be a defining experience for students and early-career professionals by offering:
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Extensive scientific sessions covering the latest advances in agronomy, crop science, soil science, and environmental research.
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Student competitions that build leadership, communication, and critical-thinking skills.
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Networking opportunities with peers, faculty, researchers, and industry representatives.
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Career development resources that help guide the next generation of scientists.
From hands-on contests to big-picture discussions about the future of agriculture, CANVAS nurtures curiosity, collaboration, and professional growth.
Thank You
A heartfelt thank-you to all faculty, staff, supporters, and donors who make these opportunities possible. The accomplishments celebrated here reflect not just individual excellence, but the strength of our entire community.
We look forward to seeing even more incredible achievements at next year’s CANVAS meeting!