2018 P2EP Summer Research Symposium

The 6th annual Summer Research Symposium will celebrate the accomplishments of the 2018 class of the Plant Pathways Elucidation Project. Join the 2018 interns as they share their summer research experiences through capstone team presentations and a poster competition. Dr. Craig Yencho will share his remarks as the featured keynote speaker.

Keynote Address: A breeder’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities next generation breeding technologies offer to society

Craig Yencho, Ph.D.
William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, NC State University

Dr. Craig Yencho is leader of the Sweetpotato and Potato Breeding and Genetics programs at NC State University. He has more than 25 years of plant breeding experience, has developed 42 sweetpotato and potato varieties, and is the co-recipient of over 55 plant patents. Dr. Yencho is currently the lead PI of the Genomic Tools for Sweetpotato Improvement Project (GT4SP), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This is a multi-disciplinary effort focused on developing modern genomic, genetic and bioinformatics tools for sweetpotato crop improvement in sub-Saharan Africa. He has travelled extensively and worked with many scientists and students in support of their international research programs in sub-Saharan Africa, China and the Americas.