Dr. Diane Okamuro Gather & Grow Webinar
Gather & Grow Webinar: What is it Like to be a Program Manager at NSF?
Dr. Diane Okamuro, National Science Foundation Program Manager
April 17, 2025 | Noon – 1PM
Dr. Diane Jofuku Okamuro is a Program Director for the Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) at the National Science Foundation, Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), Division of Integrative Organismal Systems. The PGRP is broad in scope and supports functional genomics tool development and basic discovery research on a genome-wide scale that will provide new insights into plant processes that are important to the U.S. economy. The PGRP Cluster also manages the Plant Genome Research Postdoctoral Fellowships program which is part of the BIO-wide Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology program. In addition, she currently serves on the Working Group for the Biology Integration Institutes (BII) program which supports interdisciplinary, collaborative teams that perform research, education and training on critical questions that span multiple disciplines within and beyond biology.
Dr. Okamuro received her Ph.D. in Biology from UCLA and is a plant molecular geneticist by training. She has broad-based experience in cutting-edge functional genomics technologies and has held research and management positions in both academia and industry prior to joining NSF in 2005.
Spring Symposium
https://plantsymposium.uga.edu/
Mission:
We aim to develop a comprehensive educational symposium aimed at equipping aspiring plant scientists with the latest advancements in the multiple fields of interest for our plant science. The symposium will also foster the development of leadership and organizational skills among future professionals in the field as it is a student-led event. This initiative involves empowering the next generation to take charge of planning and executing events tailored to their specific interests in plant science.
Vision:
The Plant Center Corteva Spring Symposium is a student-led event hosted by UGA each year. It is a day-long seminar series with speakers invited from Academia and Corteva. This year, our team has chosen the theme “Roots to Shoots and Everything in Between”. Our team aims to celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of UGA’s Plant Center. This comprehensive theme reflects our commitment to showcasing the intersection of plant pathology, ecology, genetics, plant biology, and plant breeding through our distinguished lineup of speakers.
