News Release
Research Director Dr. Randall Wisser Visits Iowa State University for Plant Breeding Workshop and Upcoming Seminar
AMES, Iowa — November 17, 2025 — The Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding was honored to host Dr. Randall Wisser, Research Director, for a special workshop on Sunday, November 16, in Agronomy Hall. The event brought together faculty, students, and researchers for an engaging afternoon focused on innovation in maize breeding and collaborative research strategies.
During the workshop, Dr. Wisser shared insights from his work leading the Maize ATLAS (Adaptation Through Latitudinal Artificial Selection) project—a multi-institutional effort aimed at understanding and improving maize adaptation across diverse environments. He discussed the strategic planning process behind assembling the ATLAS team, the collaborative partnerships that made the project possible, and the successful acquisition of two major research grants that propelled the initiative forward.
Participants gained a deeper understanding of the scientific and organizational challenges involved in large-scale plant breeding projects, as well as practical approaches to fostering collaboration and securing funding in competitive research landscapes.
Workshop Feedback:
“I really enjoyed it and found Randy to be an excellent storyteller and highly energetic.I learned a lot from his story about how he navigated challenges, completed his PhD research, and continued to expand and build upon that work, shaping his academic career.”
— Jiawen Lu, Postdoctoral Research Associate
The Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding extends its gratitude to Dr. Wisser for sharing his expertise and inspiring the next generation of plant breeders.
Join Us for Part 2: Special Seminar
“Crossing Boundaries Through Modeling: Understanding How Populations Adapt to Novel Environments”
Speaker: Dr. Randall Wisser, Research Director in the Plant Biology and Breeding division of INRAE (National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment)
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 3:00–4:00 PM
Location: Agronomy Hall, Room 3140
Seminar Overview:
What determines how populations adapt to different environments? This seminar explores how genotype-environment interactions create the phenotypic space for evolution, and how changes due to evolution and the environment reciprocally restructure these interactions. Using research on flowering time in maize, Dr. Wisser will demonstrate how a digital-life modeling approach—combining evolutionary genetic and mechanistic crop models—helps us understand this dynamic process and predict adaptive trajectories of plant populations.
The broader theme emphasizes how meta-modeling provides a framework for scientific convergence, creating new opportunities for understanding and managing adaptation.
About Dr. Wisser:
Dr. Randall Wisser is a Research Director at INRAE in Montpellier, France, and an affiliate faculty member at the University of Delaware. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University and has led multi-institutional projects advancing maize genetics, adaptation, and disease resistance. His current research focuses on integrating quantitative genetics and plant ecophysiology to improve breeding strategies for adaptation.