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ASA Southern Branch Annual Meeting

Every year, the ASA Southern Branch holds a meeting in conjunction with the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists (SAAS) meeting. This meeting provides a venue for collaboration and networking among agronomy professionals and students in the Southern Region. It is an excellent opportunity for students to present their research findings and talk with professionals in their area of research/interest.

2027 Southern Branch Annual Meeting

The 2027 Southern Branch Annual Meeting will be held February 6-9, 2027 in Oklahoma City, OK in conjunction with the 2027 SAAS Conference.

  • Dates: Feb. 6-9, 2027
  • Location: Oklahoma City, OK
  • Hotel Information: Omni Oklahoma City Hotel

  • Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027: Student & Post-doc Tour (optional)
  • Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027: Onsite Registration Opens
    • Poster Session in afternoon (including Graduate & Undergraduate competitions, as well as Professional Poster session)
  • Monday, Feb. 8, 2027: Opening Keynote
    • M.S. & Ph.D. Graduate Student Oral Competition (all day)
  • Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2027: Professional Oral Sessions (morning session)
    • Awards & Business Meeting (end by noon)

Registration

Registration includes access to all SAAS sessions, morning and afternoon coffee breaks, and Sunday evening SAAS reception. Please see below for Proposed Meeting Schedule.

  • Early Registration Opens: Soon
  • Early Registration Closes: October 31, 2026
    • Student Member Rate: $50   |   Professional Member Rate: $170   |   Non-Member Rate: $170
  • Standard Registration Opens: November 1, 2026
  • Standard Registration Closes: January 15, 2027
    • Student Member Rate: $80   |   Professional Member Rate: $225   |   Non-Member Rate: $225
  • Late Registration Opens: January 16
  • Late Registration Closes: Feb 6
    • Student Member Rate: $120   |   Professional Member Rate: $260   |   Non-Member Rate: $260

Note: Abstract submission & conference registration are separate transactions. Please make sure that all presenters have submitted and paid for both the Abstract fee and the Registration fee.

Abstract submissions

  • Abstract Open: Soon
  • Abstract Close: December 11, 2026
    Fees:
    • Student Members: $60
    • Professional Members: $80
    • Non-Members: $95   

Note: Registration & Abstract submission require separate transactions. Please make sure that if you are presenting, you have paid for both the Registration fee and the Abstract fee. Must be a undergraduate or graduate student member to receive student pricing.

Presentations & Student competitions

There will be both Graduate and Undergraduate Poster Competitions, as well as Graduate Oral Competitions, with monetary prizes. This is a great opportunity for students to gain presentation experience. Professional scientists will also present their research in both poster and oral. The poster size should be no larger than 42.5" x 42.5".

Note: To qualify for a specific competition category (undergraduate, MS, PhD) students must either be current students in their respective category or have graduated no earlier than December 2026.

Student Competitions:

  • Undergraduate Poster
    • MS Poster
    • PhD Poster
    • MS Oral
    • PhD Oral
  • Competition Prizes:
    • First Place - $300
    • Second Place - $200
    • Third Place - $100
    • Distinguished - $50

Professional Awards

Each year The Southern Branch of the American Society of Agronomy (SBASA) presents 3 awards to professionals devoted to agronomy, crop, soil, and environmental sciences or closely related field. Award submissions are closed.

Early Career Professional Awards (<10 years since terminal degree)

  • To be given in each of these areas: Education, Research, and Technology Transfer

Career Professional Awards (>10 years since terminal degree)

  • To be given in each of these areas: Education, Research, and Technology Transfer

Agronomic Industry Professional Award (to an individual in the private sector)

  • Award submissions Opens: Soon
  • Award submissions Closes: December 11, 2026

Eligibility:
All nominees must be members of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and active at the national and Southern Branch of ASA (SBASA) levels. Candidates may be nominated by any active member of ASA.

Guidelines:
Early Career Professional & Career Professional Awards

These awards are conferred by SBASA to recognize outstanding scientists in each of the following categories: Education, Research, and Technology Transfer. For each of these three categories, one award is granted to an Early Career Professional (within 10 years of completion of the terminal degree) and one to a Career Professional (beyond 10 years from completion of the terminal degree).

Nominee Qualifications:

  • Degrees received (field, date awarded, and institution)
  • Professional positions held (position title, dates of employment, and institution)
  • Membership in academic societies
  • Honors and awards received
  • Professional publications (give total number of professional publications in various categories and then list only the 12 most significant publications in citation form)
  • Professional contributions other than publications
  • Involvement and contributions to the American Society of Agronomy and SBASA

Agronomic Industry Professional Award

The Agronomic Industry Professional Award will be conferred by SBASA to recognize soil and crop scientists that work in the private sector. Individuals nominated should have one or more of the following ASA/SSSA certifications: certified crop adviser (CCA), certified professional agronomists (CPAg), certified professional soil scientists (CPSS), or certified professional classifier (CPSC).

Nominee Qualifications

  • Degrees received (field, date awarded and institution)
  • ASA/SSSA certification and date of certification
  • Employment record
  • Involvement and contributions to ASA and SBASA
***Please gather the following materials before proceeding with your nomination:
  • Nominee information: Name, mailing address, email, and phone number
  • List of nominee qualifications: see lists above under 'Nominee Qualifications'
  • Evaluation by Nominator: written evaluation of nominee’s contributions and qualifications
  • Supporting letters of recommendation: Up to three 1-page supporting letters solicited by and addressed to the nominator 

Note: members of the Awards Committee and the Executive Committee are not eligible to write supporting letters

Elections

We will be voting online to elect the 2026-2027 ASA Southern Branch Secretary/Treasurer. The secretary/treasurer position is a one-year term and subsequently serves as Vice President, President, and Immediate Past President for a total of four-years of service.

  • Voting Opens: Nov. 9, 2026
  • Voting Closes: Dec. 11, 2026

2026 Annual Meeting

The 2026 Southern Branch Annual Meeting was held Jan. 31- Feb. 3, 2026 in Louisville, KY in conjunction with the 2026 SAAS Conference. 

Undergraduate Poster Contest
• 1st Place – Harper Ritchey, University of Kentucky
• 2nd Place – Stormie Rackley, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
• 3rd Place – Cedric Montgomery, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
MS Poster Contest
• 1st Place – Emily Marsh, University of Kentucky
• 2nd Place – Anjan Timilsina, Kentucky State University
• 3rd Place – Allie Mutter, University of Kentucky
• Distinguished – Mahima Gumadala, Texas A&M-Kingsville
• Distinguished – Maddie Douglas, Mississippi State University
PhD Poster Contest
• 1st Place – Nisith Nishank Purohit, Auburn University
• 2nd Place – Felix Satognon, Auburn University
• 3rd Place – Nicholas Boogades, Texas A&M University
MS Oral Contest
• 1st Place – Lance Wortman, University of Georgia
• 2nd Place – Anmoldeep Singh, University of Florida
• 3rd Place (Tie) – Jason Arena, Mississippi State University
• 3rd Place (Tie) – Amie Jones, University of Georgia
• 3rd Place (Tie) – Brittany Rhea, Mississippi State University
PhD Oral
• 1st Place – Nicholas Boogades, Texas A&M University
• 2nd Place – Oluwadamilare Oloyede, Mississippi State University
• 3rd Place – Morgan Hutton, Mississippi State University
• Distinguished – William Paul O'Neal, Mississippi State University
• Distinguished – Lane Galloway, Mississippi State University
 

2025 Annual Meeting

The 2025 Southern Branch Annual Conference was held February 2-4 in Irving, TX, in conjunction with the 2025 SAAS Conference

PhD Session 1

  1. Nicholas Boogades, Texas A&M
  2. Lane Galloway, Mississippi State
  3. Graham Oakley, Mississippi State

PhD Session 2

  1. Christopher Cobos, Texas A&M
  2. Digvijay Mohite, Oklahoma State
  3. Tie: Jason Hampshire, Mississippi State & Corey Kichler, Auburn University

MS Session 1

  1. Maggie Yates, University of Georgia
  2. Mohit Kumar, University of Georgia
  3. Alexandra Lindsey, Auburn University

MS Session 2

  1. Harsanjam Singh, Oklahoma State
  2. Lance Wortman, University of Georgia
  3. Brian Wisekal, University of Gerogia

Poster Presentations
PhD

  1. Nicholas Boogades, Texas A&M
  2. Christopher Cobos, Texas A&M
  3. Corey Kichler, Auburn

MS

  1. Alexandra Lindsey, Auburn University
  2. William O'Neal, Mississippi State
  3. Shelby Hammond, Clemson University

Undergraduate

  1. Charli Matthews, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
  2. Lowrey Veazey, Mississippi State
  3. Kennedi Harris, Tarleton State University
SAAS

Branch Officers

Michael Nattrass, Secretary/Treasurer
David Spencer, Vice President
Michael Maw, President
Jagmandeep Dhillon, Past President

Branch Information

Officers

Bylaws

Poster and Oral Presentation Tips

Branch Region

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Texas.

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