A public-private partnership
energizing the seed and agbiotech industry cluster
surrounding UC Davis

.
About
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Networking events

- past events

Student program
- past students events
DISCOVER Series
Plant and Seed Sciences Partnership Program
Contacts

AN INITIATIVE OF:
Seed Biotechnology Center at UC Davis
SeedQuest

Monthly networking events
Open to all, free of charge.

>>> Sign up here to receive monthly invitations

> Unsure about networking? Read "A beginner's guide to networking"

 

EVENTS SPONSORS

       
       
2025  
May Thursday, May 8, 2025

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

The essential networking event

Click here to register

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER



RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • Charlie Brummer
    Professor
    UC Davis
    Professor Brummer will speak about recent work in alfalfa breeding and about his PNAS paper on changing paradigms for future plant breeding for resilient multi-cropping systems.

    (The presentation by Barbara Blanco-Ulate and Irwin Donis-Gonzalez about the UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center had to be postponed and will be rescheduled in 2026)
     

Location: ARC Ballrooms, UC Davis

 

 

June Thursday, June 26, 2025
Special
event

brought to you by:
 

Special event
at the USDA/ARS Sam Farr
Crop Improvement and Protection Research Center
1636 E Alisal St.
Salinas, California

9:00 to 12:00 - Research & breeding updates
12:00 to 1:00 - Networking lunch

Click here to register

Photo taken at the June 2024 meeting:

 

 

September Thursday, September 11, 2025
The essential networking event

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA



RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • Mitchell Feldmann
    Assistant Professor
    Director of the University of California, Davis Strawberry Breeding program and Research Group

Location: Buehler Alumni Center, UC Davis

 


 

October Thursday, October 9, 2025
The essential networking event

4:30 - 6:00

Special brainstorming session on future funding of graduate students

With industry and campus panelists.

UC Davis Professor Charlie Brummer describes this long-term and crucial issue that can only be resolved by having all parties collaborating on solutions:

"Costs are rising for all aspects of research, from land rent on research stations, to equipment, to personnel. While all personnel salaries continue to rise, often substantially, the cost of graduate students has dramatically increased following the strike several years ago. Although some graduate student projects can be transferred to postdocs or to research staff as a way to hold some costs in check, graduate education is a key component of the university and having a critical mass of graduate students in plant breeding is essential to be able to offer a compelling curriculum and to foster an environment of learning among a cohort of students.

Further, because graduate students are engaged in research programs for 2+ years (MS) or 4-5 years (PhD), the likelihood of having projects completed by a graduate student is often greater than with a postdoc, who may leave for a full-time position after one or two years. A continual need for new plant breeding talent exists in the private and, to a lesser extent. the public sectors, and training graduate students is essential to keeping this pipeline full. Importantly, many students are hired directly into industry without doing a postdoc, further emphasizing the importance of graduate education as opposed to postdoc mentoring. Because many graduate students from UC Davis end up employed in industry positions, keeping this pipeline flowing is important to the continued strength and innovation of the seed and nursery industries.”

6:00 - 7:00  Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA



RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

Location: Buehler Alumni Center, UC Davis

 

 

October Thursday, October 23, 2025

 

 

 

 


Open to all

 

Seed Central hosts
the California Seed Association's
Fall Student Tour
for lunch and a n
etworking career fair


With some 100 students from UC Davis, Cal-Poly, California State University Chico / Fresno / Monterey Bay, Woodland Community College, and Woodland high schools.

  • 11:30 - 12:30
    Lunch
    +
    Industry Panelists Testimonials: transitioning after graduation, the decision to work in industry, experiences in the first job, career path, advice to new talents.
     
  • 12:30 - 1:30
    Networking Career Fair

Location: : Woodland Community College, Woodland, California

 

 

November Thursday, November 13, 2025


 

The essential networking event



Focus on artificial intelligence and recent research at the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) @ UC Davis

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA



RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speakers

  • (TBA)

Location: Buehler Alumni Center, UC Davis

 

 


 

December Thursday, December 11, 2025
The essential networking event

Special joint Seed Central / Protein Central event
Launched by the Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein, the quarterly ‘Protein Central’ event includes a seminar and time for networking/discussion, often with alternative meat/protein products available for tasting.
The Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein (iCAMP) leads the way in developing transformative knowledge & innovation to accelerate the commercialization of alternative proteins and sustainably fulfill all global need predicted by 2050.

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA



RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • (TBA)

Location: , UC Davis

 

 

 

2026  
January Thursday, January 8, 2026
 
present

 

Previous exhibitors & testimonials

Exhibitors since 2017
Testimonials since 2017

9th Innovators Showcase @ UC Davis
Featuring startups and innovative companies
in ag and food, from seed to health

At the Conference Center, UC Davis

12:00 to 12:45 PM - Exhibits set up
1:00 to 3:15 PM - Pitch session
3:30 to 6:00 PM - Networking exhibits


 

 

 

February Thursday, February 12, 2026
The essential networking event

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • (TBA)

Location: , UC Davis

 

 

February Thursday, February 16 & 17, 2026
Students & postdoctoral researchers
are invited to attend the joint
American Seed Trade Association
Vegetable & Flower Conference
and the Annual Meeting of the
California Seed Association
in San Diego, California

 

 

 

   
Every year, ASTA and Seed Central join forces to bring undergraduate & graduate students and post doctoral researchers to the conference, to:
  • attend valuable sessions,
  • learn about the seed industry and its many rewarding employment opportunities,
  • present research posters 
  • network with companies from around the world, and
  • facilitate the search for internships and the first job.

Invited this year were students & postdocs from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Cal-Poly, and California State University Chico, Fresno and Monterey Bay.

Students and post doctoral researchers will be sponsored by:
 
  and more...  

 

 

 

March Thursday, March 12, 2026
Seed Central @ Berkeley
Connecting Seed Central members with scientists,
postdocs and students at the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) and UC Berkeley
This event is exclusively for Seed Central members and IGI/UC Berkeley scientists, postdocs and students.

1:00 - 5:00 - Scientific presentations by scientists and postdocs

  • Speakers TBA

5:00 - 7:00 - Research poster session & networking social

Location: , Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), Berkeley, CA

 

 

March March 2026 (date TBA)

 

 

 

 


Open to all

 

 

 

Seed Central hosts
the California Seed Association's Spring Student Tour
for lunch, a Job Panorama session, and a n
etworking career fair
With support from Hartnell College


With 100+ students from UC Davis, Cal-Poly, California State University Chico/Fresno /Monterey Bay, Hartnell College, and Salinas area high schools.

  • 11:30 - 12:30
    Lunch
     + 
    Job Panorama: industry panelists and students, paired 2 months before the event, will report on what they learned about each other and exchange about employment in the seed industry.
  • 12:30 - 1:30
    Networking Career Fair

Location: : Hartnell College, Salinas, California

 

 

April Thursday, April 9, 2026
The essential networking event

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • (TBA)

Location: , UC Davis

 

 

May Thursday, May 14, 2026
The essential networking event

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • (TBA)

Location: , UC Davis

 

 

June June 2026 (date TBA)
Special
event

 

brought to you by:
 

Special event
at the USDA/ARS Sam Farr
Crop Improvement and Protection Research Center
1636 E Alisal St.
Salinas, California

9:00 to 12:00 - Research & breeding updates
12:00 to 1:00 - Networking lunch

 

Photo taken at the June 2024 meeting:

 

 

September Thursday, September 10, 2026
The essential networking event

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • (TBA)

Location: , UC Davis

 

 

October Thursday, October 8, 2026
The essential networking event

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • (TBA)

Location: , UC Davis

 

 

October October 2026 (date TBA)

 

 

 

 


Open to all

 

 
Seed Central hosts
the California Seed Association's
Fall Student Tour
for lunch, a Job Panorama session, and a n
etworking career fair


With some 100 students from UC Davis, Cal-Poly, California State University Chico / Fresno / Monterey Bay, Woodland Community College, and Woodland high schools.

  • 11:30 - 12:30
    Lunch
     + 
    Job Panorama: industry panelists and students, paired 2 months before the event, will report on what they learned about each other and exchange about employment in the seed industry.
  • 12:30 - 1:30
    Networking Career Fair

Location: : Woodland Community College, Woodland, California

 

 

November Thursday, November 12, 2026
Seed Central @ Berkeley
Connecting Seed Central members with scientists,
postdocs and students at the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) and UC Berkeley
This event is exclusively for Seed Central members and IGI/UC Berkeley scientists, postdocs and students.

1:00 - 5:00 - Scientific presentations by scientists and postdocs

  • Speakers TBA

5:00 - 7:00 - Research poster session & networking social

Location: , Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), Berkeley, CA

 

 

December Thursday, December 10, 2026
The essential networking event

4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with the TALENTS CORNER

Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with

TBA

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win a Meal with Industry (TBA).

6:00 - 7:00  Featured speaker

  • (TBA)

Location: , UC Davis

 

 

2027  
January Thursday, January 8, 2027
 
present

 

Previous exhibitors & testimonials

Exhibitors since 2017
Testimonials since 2017

9th Innovators Showcase @ UC Davis
Featuring startups and innovative companies
in ag and food, from seed to health

12:00 to 12:45 PM - Exhibits set up (Conference Center)
1:00 to 3:15 PM - Pitch session  (Alumni Center)
3:30 to 6:00 PM - Networking exhibits (Conference Center)


 

 

 

   

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