This fall semester, F3 Innovate hosted three Ag Bag Meetings to strengthen and support the ag community at UC Merced. Although the university doesn’t have a dedicated agriculture major or department, these meetings serve as a valuable forum for faculty, staff, and students to connect, share resources, and learn about agtech research happening on campus.
Each meeting featured a unique lineup of presenters sharing their work in agricultural technology and research. This semester’s speakers included:
- Danny Royer – UC Merced Experimental Smart Farm Coordinator, discussing ongoing developments at the Experimental Smart Farm.
- Sarah Kurtz – Professor of Materials Science & Engineering, with insights into agrivoltaics.
- Cameron Zuber – UCANR Orchard Crops Advisor, highlighting regional orchard practices.
- Jackie Atim – UC Cooperative Extension Specialist, sharing findings from local agricultural research.
- Rebecca Ryals – Professor in Life & Environmental Sciences, presenting her research on sustainable soil management.
- Kamila Dilmurat – Postdoctoral scholar in geoinformatics and geospatial analytics, discussing data-driven approaches in agriculture.
- Reza Ehsani – Professor of Mechanical Engineering, exploring precision ag technologies.
- Wan Du and Xiaoyi Lu – Professors in Computer Science & Engineering, focusing on computational advancements applicable to agtech.
The meetings drew over 60 attendees this semester, underscoring a growing interest in the ag community and in agtech innovation on campus. F3 Innovate will continue these Ag Bag Meetings in the spring semester and is actively seeking speakers and topic recommendations. If you’d like to suggest a topic or speaker, please use the link below.