The ASHS Annual Conference: Gathering the Horticultural Science Community for Learning and Collaboration

Plants, People, Science

We sit down with our podcast teammate Lena Wilson—fresh off a first-place PhD Graduate Student Poster Competition win—to unpack what it takes to thrive at a major scientific conference, from crafting a clear two-minute story to turning a poster row into a collaboration engine.
Lena takes us inside a week in New Orleans at her first ASHS Annual Conference. We trade practical tactics for session planning, using the conference app without becoming a prisoner to it, and scheduling specific meetups before everyone’s calendar fills up. You’ll also hear quick voice clips from students, postdocs, faculty, and industry partners sharing what they do while listening to podcasts—tissue grinding, figure polishing, micropropagation - plus why they keep returning to ASHS: community, mentorship, and science that feeds people.
We also look ahead to ASHS 2026 in Dallas, August 3-7, 2026. If you’re a graduate student aiming for your first big presentation, an early-career scientist ready to widen your circle, or a faculty member scouting new collaborations, you’ll leave with a clearer plan and renewed energy.
Subscribe for more conversations with researchers, educators, and industry leaders across horticultural science. Share this episode with a colleague who needs a nudge to submit that abstract, and leave a review to help others discover the show.

Find more information about the ASHS Annual Conference at https://ashs.org/page/ASHSAnnualConference.

Learn more about the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at https://ashs.org/.
HortTechnology, HortScience and the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science are all open-access and peer-reviewed journals, published by the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS). Find them at journals.ashs.org.
Consider becoming an ASHS member at https://ashs.org/page/Becomeamember!
You can also find the official webpage for Plants, People, Science at ashs.org/plantspeoplesciencepodcast, and we encourage you to send us feedback or suggestions at https://ashs.org/webinarpodcastsuggestion.
Podcast transcripts are available at https://plantspeoplescience.buzzsprout.com.
On LinkedIn find Sam Humphrey at linkedin.com/in/samson-humphrey. Curt Rom is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curt-rom-611085134/. Lena Wilson is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wilson-2531a5141/.

Thank you for listening!

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章

1. Semester Kickoff And Teaching (00:00:00)

2. Extension Work And Conference FOMO (00:02:00)

3. Introducing Guest And Her Win (00:02:37)

4. First-Time At A Big ASHS (00:04:20)

5. Poster Presenting And Communication (00:06:20)

6. Navigating Sessions And Choices (00:08:10)

7. Poster Hall Conversations Return (00:10:10)

8. Career Fair And Listener Feedback (00:11:20)

9. On-The-Ground Voices From ASHS (00:12:40)

10. Community And Professional Networks (00:16:30)

11. Next Year In Dallas: What To Expect (00:17:10)

12. Planning Ahead And Deadlines (00:19:20)

13. Lessons For Future Conferences (00:21:05)

14. Recognition, Webinars, And Awards (00:22:40)

15. The Humid 5K And Shared Moments (00:24:10)

16. How To Engage And Join ASHS (00:26:00)

17. Credits And Gratitude (00:28:00)