Patricia Raun, director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Communicating Science, will lead a workshop in which participants will share the need to break down barriers and convey their expertise in a way that resonates with others at this year’s Northeastern Weed Science Society (NEWSS) meeting January 7-11, 2024, in Boston.
WESTMINSTER, Colo., Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Did you ever wonder what an entomologist, a policy analyst, a soil scientist, and an actor might have in common? No, that’s not the lead-in to a joke. Instead, it’s all part of a workshop that will be featured at this year’s Northeastern Weed Science Society (NEWSS) meeting January 7-11, 2024, in Boston.
Patricia Raun, director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Communicating Science, will lead a workshop in which participants will share the need to break down barriers and convey their expertise in a way that resonates with others.
Raun has worked extensively with scientists, engineers, and medical professionals to enhance their communication skills, and now she’s bringing her expertise to NEWSS members.
This session will stress the need to:
- Communicate with clarity and directness.
- Establish a personal connection with your audience.
- Foster spontaneity in your communication.
- Be responsive and adaptable in your interactions.
The NEWSS meeting also will include presentations examining various aspects of harvest weed seed control (HWSC). Michael Flessner, a Virginia Tech weed scientist, has found ways to reduce weed seedbank inputs in soybean and wheat production.
It’s particularly effective for weeds such as Palmer amaranth, which retain 90% of weed seeds. Seed impact mills used in HWSC can kill more than 97% of weed seeds that enter it in many cases with Class 8 combines. Various studies show a 30% reduction in weed density in the season following one HWSC event. However, testing of chaff lining and seed impact mills on commercial farms has had issues of material plugging the combine. This is mostly associated with green or high moisture harvest residues.
The meeting will also feature 92 titles including student poster and oral presentations and research posters that feature:
- Agronomic crops.
- Fruit, vegetable and tree crops.
- Turf, ornamental and non-crop.
- Weed ecology and invasive species.
A graduate student luncheon will be held on January 9, with a student quiz bowl slated on January 10.
Additional information is available online.
Meetings Scheduled for Early Next Year
More annual weed science meetings below have been scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. Further details will be publicized and posted online as they become available.
The Western Society of Weed Science (WSWS) will meet March 4-7, 2024, in Denver, Colorado.
About the Weed Science Society of America
The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society, was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit http://www.wssa.net.
Media Contact
Lee Van Wychen, National & Regional Weed Science Societies, 202-746-4686, [email protected], https://www.wssa.net/
SOURCE National & Regional Weed Science Societies
