PES Seminars

Current research discussions are presented by Graduate level students and NMSU faculty. Graduate Enrichment Seminar's are only held throughout Spring and Fall Semesters.

Date/Time: Fridays, 3:30 PM, Gerald Thomas Hall, Room 200, unless otherwise indicated.

Zoom Info: Click here for the PES Webinar Link.

Contact Info

Dr. Curtis Monger
Email: cmonger@nmsu.edu
Phone: 575-915-8289


Spring 2023

Seminars by date, speaker, title
Speaker Presentation Title
Feb. 3 - Dr. Bill Lindemann, Professor Emeritus, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Extension Plant Science When and how the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science Degree was developed.
Feb. 10 - Dylan Burrus, Ph.D. Candidate Environmental change modifies predator-prey interactions in shrub-encroached grasslands.
Feb. 17 - Ehtisham Khokhar, Ph.D. Candidate High-throughput characterization of fruit phenotypic diversity among New Mexican chile pepper (Capsicum spp.) using the tomato analyzer software.
February 24 - Navdeep Kaur, M.S. Candidate

Genomic Breeding for Phytophthora resistance in Capsicum annuum.

March 3 - Seth Burruss, M.S. Candidate Remote sensing of biological soil crust in the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem using a hyperspectral sensor on a UAS.
March 10 - Stephanie Torres, M.S. Candidate Selection in onions for thrips non preference.  

March 24 - Trevor Roberts, M.S. Candidate

Gurpreet Kaur Nagi, Ph. D. Candidate

Water-constrained thinning relationships at regional and global scales.

Wastewater bioremediation using microalgae.

March 31 - Abid Nazir, Ph. D. Candidate Global ecosystem dynamics investigation (GEDI) product validation with field data in arid, semi-arid, and Himalayan regions.

April 14 - Dikshya Sapkota, M.S. Candidate

Sumeet Sharma, M.S. Candidate

Jujube Germplasm in New Mexico and the Southwestern Corner of Texas.

Hydrological modelling using SWAT at lower Rio Grande watershed, New Mexico.

April 21 - Bhimsen Shrestha, M.S. Candidate

Harjot Sidhu, M.S. Candidate

Effect of irrigation and nitrogen management on potato (S. tuberosum) growth, yield and quality and water use efficiency.

Effect of different irrigation and fertility on guar performance.

April 28 - Skyler Roe, M.S. Candidate Post fire reforestation: nursery and post-planting management for pinus ponderosa seedlings.
May 5 - Pramod Acharya, Ph.D. Candidate Linking soil health with crop production and other ecosystem services.

Fall 2022

Seminars by date, speaker, title
Speaker Presentation Title
Sep. 2 - Dr. Rolston St. Hilaire, Regents Professor, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Extension Plant Science Secrets and successes from two decades of work at NMSU
Sep. 9 - Clark Safely, M.S. Candidate An Assessment of Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Contamination in Cloudcroft, NM
Sep. 16 - Dr. Njoki Kahiu, Post Doctorial Fellow Application Earth Observation Derived Vegetation Indices for Drought Risk Financing in Africa
Sep. 23 - Tiffany Johnson, M.S. Candidate Title TBA
Sep. 30 - Alba Lucker, M.S. Candidate Exploring Brackish Groundwater Effects on Halophytes For Human Health
Oct. 7 - Phillip Lujan, Ph.D. Candidate Management of Chile Pepper Infection Caused by Phytophthora Capsici Using Pecan Byproduct Extracts
Oct. 14 - Srijana Dura, Ph.D. Candidate Factors Contributing to the Reduction of Phytophthora Blight Caused by Phytophthora Capsici in Jalapeño Pepper
Oct. 21 - Ronald Treminio, Ph.D. Candidate Spatial Patterns and Controls on Wind Erosion in the Great Basin
Oct. 28 - Paramveer Singh, Ph.D. Candidate Native Perennial Grasses as Unique Circular Buffer Strips Improves Irrigated Corn Productivity
Nov. 4 - Dr. Don Cotter, Professor Emeritus Row Crop Agriculture in the Mesilla Valley
Nov. 11 - Sangita Subedi, M.S. Candidate Screening the Peanut Mini Core Collection for Resistance to Stem Rot Disease Caused by Athelia Rolfsii
Nov. 18 - Brandi Wheeler, M.S. Candidate Combining Quantitative (model driven) and Qualitative Soil Erosion Indicators to Improve Support of Land Management Decisions
Dec. 2 - Joseph Wood, Ph.D. Candidate Effects of Biotic Stress on Onion Physiology

Spring 2022

Seminars by date, speaker, and title
Speaker Presentation Title
Jan. 21 - Dr. Michael L. Kahn, Professor, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Affiliate Faculty, PES, NMSU Symbiotic nitrogen fixation: foraging for meaning
Jan. 28 - Dr. Elizabeth LaRue, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso The ecological role of structural diversity
Feb. 4 - Dr. Curtis Monger, Professor Emeritus, Plant and Environmental Sciences, NMSU Carbon capture and storage as inorganic carbon—a realistic method for climate change mitigation?
Feb. 11 - Dr. Lin Ma, Associate Professor, Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences, University of Texas El Paso Dryland Critical Zone Research—potential for collaborations
Feb. 18 - Nina Dropcho, Ph. D. Candidate Interactions between insect and plant hosts affecting beet curly top virus (BCTV) transmission
Feb. 25 - Maria Begum, Masters Candidate Assessment of water footprint for alfalfa hay, corn, wheat, and sorghum of New Mexico
Mar. 18 - Gayle Tyree - Masters Candidate
Olufemi Adebayo - Master's Candidate
Responses of a physical control on wind erosion to oil and gas disturbance in the Upper Colorado River Basin Cover crops, compost, and soil health
Mar. 25 - Govinda Sapkota, Ph. D. Candidate Nutrient Content, Dynamics with Maturity, and Effect of Drying Methods on Nutrient Retention in Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) Grown Under Different Geographical Locations of New Mexico
Apr. 1 - Jessica Mikenas, Masters Candidate Responses of the rangeland soil microbiome to biocrust and nutrient additions in a greenhouse experiment
Apr. 8 - Sergei Shalygin, Ph. D. Candidate Advanced mass spectral and microscopical analyses of the targeted plants and cyanobacteria
Apr. 29 - Dr. Chad Higgins, Associate Professor, Oregon State University Agrivoltaic activities at Oregon State University