Prepare for a transformative experience in the world of invasive species management. At NAISMA, we prioritize inclusivity and knowledge-sharing across diverse taxa and interest groups. Our agenda unites both experts and enthusiasts, fostering enriching discussions and collaborations. We are currently finalizing presentation proposals to offer a dynamic line-up of topics. Special sessions will cover pressing issues, such as golden mussels. Further details will be available as they develop.
Keynotes
These inspiring thought leaders will deliver powerful insights and fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in invasive species management.

Biography
Dr. Marrone spent her 30+ year career focused on discovering and developing biological products for pest management and plant health, having started and led three previous bioag companies (Entotech, AgraQuest and Marrone Bio Innovations (now called Profarm Group), all of which were sold to larger companies. She is one of only 32 women to have founded a company and taken it public (MBII:NASDAQ). With co-founder Jim Boyd, the former President/CFO of Marrone Bio, Pam launched a fourth company, the Invasive Species Corporation, to bring effective, environmentally friendly biological solutions to control destructive invasive species, in water, forestry and agriculture. The company has a microbial natural product discovery platform to find herbicides, algaecides and biological solutions to control invasive crustaceans and has microbial products to control invasive mussels and invasive fish. She is Chair of the Board of Elicit Plant, is on the board of the Better Meat Co. and advises several other agtech/agbio startups. Among her many awards, in 2023 she received the Rosalind Franklin Award from the Biotechnology Industry Organization and in 2022 she was the first woman to receive the American Chemical Society “Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success.” She is a Fellow of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), and in 2024 she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. She is a 2025 inductee into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, with over 400 patents (>80 US). She has a B.S. in entomology with Honors and Distinction from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in entomology from North Carolina State University.
Dr. Pam Marrone
Co-founder and Executive Chair, Invasive Species Corporation
Biography
Dr. John J. Daigle is citizen member of the Penobscot Nation and Professor in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine. Daigle received his Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Massachusetts in 1997 and started working at the University of Maine in 1998. He teaches courses with an emphasis on application of social science concepts and methods to outdoor recreation and natural resource planning and management. Prior to accepting his present position with the University of Maine, he served approximately 10 years with the National Park Service as a Park Ranger and U.S. Forest Service as a Research Forester.
Dr. John J. Daigle
Dr. Daigle is a citizen member of the Penobscot Nation and Professor in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine

Biography
Prof. Marc Cadotte is the Fred and Norah Urquhart Distinguished Professor of Biodiversity. In 2020, he was elected Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, The Royal Society of Canada. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Ecological Solutions and Evidence and Chair of Applied Ecology Resources, two new publication projects developed with the British Ecological Society and which provide a new communication paradigm for traversing the research-practice divide in ecology. He researches the links between biodiversity and ecosystem function, how to predict and control invasive species, and how environmental change drivers influence biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services in the places where they benefit people most. He has published more than 200 articles and has pioneered biodiversity measures that quantify species differences based on phylogenetic and trait-based distances. Prof. Cadotte is the author of Phylogenies in Ecology, published by Princeton University Press and the forthcoming book, A place for Greenspace, to be published by the University of Toronto Press. Prof. Cadotte has accrued over 30,000 citations and is listed on Web of Science’s top 1% most cited scientists in environmental science since 2017.
Prof. Marc Cadotte
Prof. Cadotte is the Fred and Norah Urquhart Distinguished Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto ScarboroughPlan your conference experience
Our at-a-glance agenda provides a snapshot of the week’s events, helping you identify the sessions, meetings, networking opportunities, and activities that matter most to you. Review the schedule below or download the PDF to keep a copy handy while planning your conference experience.
| Subject to Change - Concurrent Sessions (3 speakers - 20 mins each) and Special Sessions* (Workshop, Panelist, Single or Multiple Speakers) | ||||||
| Monday, October 19th (all times are in EST) | ||||||
| 8:00 am - 4:00 pm | NAISMA Board of Directors (Private) | |||||
| 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Field Experience | |||||
| 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm | MAIPC Business Meeting (Tentative) | |||||
| 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm | Welcome Reception | |||||
| Tuesday, October 20th (all times are EST) | ||||||
| 7:30 am - 8:15 am | Breakfast with exhibitors | |||||
| 8:15 am - 9:30 am | Keynote: Dr. Pam Marrone | |||||
| Biological Solutions for Invasive Species Management: An Entrepreneurial Journey | ||||||
| 9:35 am - 10:35 am | Graduate Student Research | Regional Projects | EDRR | Biocontrol & Genetic Tools | Terrestrial Systems | |
| 10:35 am - 10:50 am | Networking Break | |||||
| 10:50 am - 11:50 am | *Invasive species threaten U.S. national security | Regional Projects | EDRR | Biocontrol & Genetic Tools | Terrestrial Systems | |
| 11:50 am - 1:10 pm | NAISMA Annual General Meeting - Lunch Provided | |||||
| 1:15 pm- 3:15 pm | *Policy Workshop | *Disturbance dynamics: the impacts of extreme weather events on the prevention and management of biological invasions | *The Valuable Work of Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs) | *Improving Science Communication to Mitigate Biological Invasion | Aquatic Systems (1:15-2:15 pm) | |
| Aquatic Systems (2:15-3:15 pm) | ||||||
| 3:20 pm - 3:35 pm | Networking Break | |||||
| 3:35 pm - 4:35 pm | Graduate Student Research | *How to engage your state emergency management agency to reduce invasion risks in disaster | Collaboration & Capacity Building | Human Dimensions & Citizen Science | Policy & Frameworks | |
| 5:30 pm - 7:30pm | Poster Reception | |||||
| Wednesday, October 21st (all times are EST) | ||||||
| 7:30 am - 8:15 am | Breakfast with exhibitors | |||||
| 8:15 am - 9:30 am | Keynote: Dr. John Daigle | |||||
| Building a community of interest and management response to the Emerald Ash Borer threatening ash trees and cultural lifeways in eastern North America | ||||||
| 10:00 am - 12:00 pm | Onsite Workshop - Volunteer Recruitment, Management, and Leadership 101 | |||||
| 10:00 am - 4:00 pm | Field Experiences (Lunch Provided) | |||||
| 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Networking Lunch in the Courtyard (On Your Own) | |||||
| 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Onsite Workshop - TBD | |||||
| 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Awards Banquet | |||||
| Thursday, October 22nd (all times are EST) | ||||||
| 7:30 am - 8:15 am | Breakfast with exhibitors | |||||
| 8:15 am - 9:30 am | Keynote: Prof. Marc Cadotte | |||||
| Invaded Cities: Glimpses into the Future of Biodiversity | ||||||
| 9:35 am - 10:35 am | Collaboration & Capacity Building | Policy & Frameworks | Invasion Risks in a Changing World | Human Dimensions & Citizen Science | ||
| 10:35 am - 10:50 am | Networking Break | |||||
| 10:50 am - 11:50 am | Technology & Innovation | *Invasives Free USA | *Biocontrol | *Weed Free Productrs | ||
| 11:50 am - 1:00 pm | Lunch (On Your Own) | |||||
| 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | *Addressing Invasive Species and Climate Change Through Global Cooperation and Local Action | *National Early Detection and Rapid Response Framework: Resources Available and Future Plans | *National Approaches to Biosecurity: A Global Learning Exchange | *Where Research Meets Reality: Universities as Catalysts for Invasive Species Action | ||
| 3:00 pm-3:25 pm | Networking Break | |||||
| 3:25 pm - 4:25 pm | Invasives Potpourri | Policy & Frameworks | Tools | Human Dimensions & Citizen Science | ||
| 4:30 pm - 4:45 pm | Concluding Remarks | |||||
