OPENING GENERAL SESSION: Award Ceremony & Keynote Speaker - Dr. Van Schepler-Luu

The Opening General Session will open with a welcome from the APS President, Karen Garrett. We will then recognize our 2025 Fellows and the Excellence and Named Awardees. Our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Van Schepler-Luu will then give her opening talk. Dr. Van Schepler-Luu is the head of the Plant Pathology and Host Plant Resistance Group at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. She leads collaborative research efforts with partners from over 20 countries, focusing on rice diseases that pose significant threats to global food security.
Keynote Title: From Rice Fields to Global Networks: International Collaboration to Tackle Rice Diseases

Rice diseases pose global threats to food security, driven by rapidly evolving pathogens, climate change, and increasing trade connectivity. Addressing these challenges requires international collaboration across disciplines and career stages. This talk highlights three global partnerships that demonstrate how collaborative networks effectively bridge cutting-edge research and practical solutions. The Healthy Crops Consortium, supported by the Gates Foundation, applies gene editing to develop bacterial blight-resistant rice through coordinated efforts among advanced institutions in five countries. The PathoTracer and Global BioNET initiative connects 23 institutions across 20 countries to monitor rice pathogen populations and guide resistance breeding strategies. The newly established International Rice False Smut Consortium brings together 25 institutions from 12 countries to respond rapidly to an emerging disease threatening high-yielding varieties. Together, these examples illustrate how inclusive, coordinated international efforts can accelerate innovation and deliver sustainable solutions to major rice health challenges.