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 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 |
| Speakers | Taylor Darnell, Virginia Tech | Michael Schwarz, USGS | Catherine Jarnevich, USGS | Matthew Tancos, USDA-ARS | Tabitha Petri, Longwood Gardens |
| Cecilia Smith, Virginia Tech | Heather Walsh, Virginia Tech | Wesley Daniel, USGS | Edward Large, USGS | Kevin Chase, Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories | |
| Simon Willig, Clemson | Leah Card & Scott Klopfer, VA Department of Wildlife Resources | AG Sweany, Virginia Dept of Conservation and Recreation | Ilga Porth, Laval University | Bethany Bradley, University of Massachusetts Amherst | |
| 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 |
| Speakers | Bryan Falk, National Invasive Species Council | Joan Allen & Patrick O’Brien, HWA Fairfax County | McKayla Spencer, USFWS | Dimiru Tadesse, USDA-ARS | Chris Riley, Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories |
| Ryan McIntyre, Rock Creek Conservancy | Paul Evans, Clemson | Michael Schwob, Virginia Tech | Mihail Kantor, The Pennsylvania State University | ||
| Lauren Taylor, Blue Ridge PRISM | Tova Perlman, Motivf Corporation | Stacy Endriss, Virginia Tech | Melanie Tannieres, European Biological Control Laboratory - USDA-ARS | ||
| 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) |
| Speakers | Mara Rice, NAISMA | Jenica Allen - NE RISCC | Lauren Taylor, Blue Ridge PRISM | Dara Wald, Virginia Tech | Nichole Angell, Great Lakes Commission |
| Mark Heilman, SePro | Bethany Bradley - NE RISCC | New York PRISM | Haldre Rodgers, Virginia Tech | Amy Fowler, George Mason University | |
| Tyler Roberts, SePro | Wesley Daniel - SE RISCC | Tegan Wilmot, NAISMA | Autumn McGowan, Great Lakes Commission | ||
| Cayla Morningstar - SE RISCC | Aquatic Systems (2:15-3:15 pm) | ||||
| Elliott Parsons - PI RISCC | Mark Wildhaber, USGS | ||||
| Eva Colberg, NW RISCC | Donn Branstrator, University of Minnesota Duluth | ||||
| Marcicila Jimemez, Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua | |||||
| 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 |
| Speakers | Harrison Miles, Virginia Tech | Bryan Falk, NISC | Amy Yackel Adams, USGS | Teagan Wilmot, NAISMA | Yolanda Barrios Caballero, CONABIO |
| Marissa Trombley, University of Minnesota NRRI | Colin Cassin, Invasive Species Centre | Lesley Beckworth, Teton County Weed & Pest | Joseph Drake, The Ohio State University/ISC | ||
| Anna Johnson, University of New Haven | Theresa Gruninger, Great Lakes Commission | Amy Morey, University of Minnesota | Tova Perlman, Motivf Corporation | ||
| 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 | ||||
| Grace Stern, State Coordinator, Extension Master Gardener Program & Virginia Cooperative Extension | |||||
| 10:00 am - 4:00 pm | Field Experiences (Lunch Provided) | ||||
| 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm | Networking Lunch in the Courtyard (On Your Own) | ||||
| 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm | Onsite Workshop - Communications Workshop | ||||
| Teagan Wilmot, NAISMA | |||||
| 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 | |
| Speakers | Colin Cassin, Invasive Species Centre | Russ Hartzell, Montana Invasive Species Council | Elliot Parsons, Pacific RISCC, PICASC at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa | Amber Stilwell, Pennsylvania Sea Grant | |
| Ehren Moler, James Madison University | Jacob Utrie, CD3 | Morgan Roche, USGS | Adrien Owens, SLELO PRISM - The Nature Conservancy | ||
| Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia | Paul Heimowitz, USGS | Cayla Morningstar, Cherokee Nation Federal contracted to USGS | Daniel Bove, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife | ||
| 10:35 am - 10:50 am | Networking Break | ||||
| 10:50 am - 11:50 am | Innovation & Technology | *Invasives Free USA | *Biocontrol | *Weed Free Products | |
| Speakers | Garrett Atwood, Clean Wake LLC | Steve Manning, IPC | Bill Foote | ||
| Winslow Robinson, Fable Forestry | Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia | Vicki Sawicki | |||
| Amanda Gould | Jessica Spencer, US Army Corps | Stephanie Otts | |||
| 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 | |
Fitz Dettmer, University of Massachusetts Amherst | Hilary Smith, US Department of the Interior | Christy Martin,University of Hawaii - Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS) | Hallie Harriman, Invasive Species Collaborative at Virginia Tech | ||
| Karoline Ford, The Pennsylvania State University | James English, U.S. Geological Survey | ||||
| Joseph Drake, The Ohio State University | Aaron Martin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | ||||
| Jeff Corbin, Union College | Angela McMellen Brannigan, National Invasive Species Council | ||||
| Jennical Allen, University of Massachusetts, Amherst | Kristen Somers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | ||||
| 3:00 pm-3:25 pm | Networking Break | ||||
| 3:25 pm - 4:25 pm | Invasives Potpourri | Policy & Frameworks | Tools | Human Dimensions & Citizen Science | |
| Speakers | Claudia Nunez-Penichet, Virginia Tech | Laura Brewington, Arizona State University & University of Hawaii | Janet Prevey, USGS | Marina Ascunce, USDA-ARS | |
| Rebekah Wallace, University of Georgia | Mason Russo, Hawaii Invasive Species Council | Richard Inman, USGS | Laurel Williams, Finger Lakes PRISM | ||
| Andrei Alyokhin, University of Maine | Susan Jewel, The Wildlife Society, Invasive Species Working Group | Peder Engelstad, Colorado State University | Robert Smith, SLELO PRISM/The Nature Conservancy | ||
| 4:30 pm - 4:45 pm | Concluding Remarks | ||||
