NDSU Plant Sciences Team Attends AAIC Conference in Alaska; Student Wins Award

A small team from the NDSU Plant Sciences department recently attended the 36th Annual Association for Advancement of Industrial Crops (AAIC) conference, and the 1st Intermediate Oilseed Crops conference, held on August 31 - September 4, 2025, in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The conference provided attendees the opportunity to hear from a variety of presentations and posters on different topics, including fiber and cellulosic, natural rubber and resins, medicinal and nutraceutical plants, oilseeds and many other crops. Additionally, the conference included several panel and round table discussions including Alaska Grown industrial products and intermediate oilseed crops development and policy. Dr. Marisol Berti and her Research Program Coordinator, Micah Gartenberg, helped organize this years conference.

Five NDSU Plant Sciences students received $1000 AAIC Student Travel Grants at the conference. Those students included:

• Marisol Morocho
• Raja Bhoomireddy
• Ogechukwu Igboke
• Micah Gartenberg
• Maria Mazala

Overall, the Plant Sciences team enjoyed their experience at the conference and was grateful for the opportunity to represent NDSU.