The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology

2026 Fresno State / World Ag Expo Schedule

World Ag Expo graphic

Dates: February 10-12, 2024

Address: 4500 S Laspina St # 214, Tulare, CA 93274

Official Website: www.WorldAgExpo.com

* STUDENT TRAVEL ASSISTANCE NOTE: Fresno State students looking for a ride to the World Ag Expo, can sign up by Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. (https://bit.ly/WORLDAGEXPO2026) and provide a $20 cash deposit, which will be returned upon boarding the bus.

The bus departs campus parking lot P14 at 10 a.m. and returns by 4 p.m. each day on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 10-11, but not Thursday, Feb. 12 (and contact fengkt1@mail.fresnostate.edu for more information).

Tuesday, February 10

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Information Booth
Students, alumni, community and industry members can learn more about exciting Fresno State, Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences Technology, 1,000-acre campus farm and research programs from Ag Ambassador students, faculty, and staff (Ag Careers & Education Pavilion Booth 7002-03).

Wine and Cheese Tasting
Sample Fresno State Winery favorites at the Wine and Cheese Lounge (near DS80 booth, on corner of S Street and South St./Jersey Lane, near Southeast entrance off U Street).

AI IN AG ROUNDTABLE (Heritage Center, 2nd Floor Meeting Room_
9 a.m.
Center of Irrigation Technology Director Dr. Charles Hillyer and agricultural business associate business professor Dr. Jiaochen (Jason) Liang will be part of a panel discussing how OpenAI is expanding into agriculture, and part of a live demonstration of tools in use on farms right now. More info: austin.gilbert@asm.ca.gov.

11 a.m.
Get a picture with Fresno State Mascot Victor E. IV Bulldog, who will visit the Ag Ambassadors Booth (Ag Careers & Education Pavilion Booth 7002-03).

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS (Seminar Trailer 1, near Gate 16, southeast entrance)

10-10:25 a.m.
Clogged drippers: how the CIT clogging test helps you find the best emitter for you
Join Fresno State Center of Irrigation Technology Director Dr. Charles Hillyer on how CIT is helping growers address dripper clogging, which has been an issue for a long time. Over 15 years ago, the Center for Irrigation Technology developed a laboratory test to measure a dripper's propensity to clog with inorganic particles. This presentation will show you 1) how the test works, 2) how to interpret the results, and 3) when the test is relevant and useful for you.

10:30-10:55 a.m.
Economic and Agricultural Feasibility of Reverse Osmosis (RO) Irrigation Treatment
Victor Fraga, a Jordan College honors student from the Agricultural Business and Plant Science Departments, will discuss his research tied to the economic and agricultural feasibility of using reverse osmosis (RO) saline effluent for irrigation. His a USDA-ARS pilot study is being conducted in the California’s Westlands Water District and evaluating salt-, selenium-, and boron-tolerant crops for their phytoremediation potential and profitability, to promote sustainable water reuse and brine management.

11-11:55 a.m.
Turning Floods into Future Water
California Water Institute Director Laura Ramos will help farmers understand the benefits, risks, and opportunities of groundwater recharge —and how to capture flood flows to improve water reliability for the future. By learning about groundwater recharge, farmers can turn excess winter water into a long-term asset.

Noon-12:25 p.m.
Impacts and Insights Provided by the Pacific Coast Coalition - Dairy Business Innovation Initiative Across 6 States
Dr. Susan Pheasant and Grace Cota from the Institute of Food and Agriculture and Dr. Carmen Licon from Cal Poly will showcase how the Pacific Coast Coalition-Dairy Business Innovation Initiative stewards a >$26 million investment in dairy processing business, technical assistance, internships, higher education pilot plants, and training throughout the states of CA, OR, WA, AZ, NM, and NV. Presenters will share milestone achievements and impact stories generated by dairy businesses, universities, and dairy industry partners.

12:30-12:55 p.m.
What's the Right Price for a Hot Dog? A Framework for Fair Pricing
Food Science and Nutrition Associate Professor Dr. Jamie Levitt will introduce a two-by-two matrix tool for assessing perceptions of price gouging at sporting event concessions, based on perceived exploitation and adjusted consumer value. The tool’s applicability is demonstrated using data from Fresno State football games, offering actionable insights for venue pricing strategies.

1-1:25 p.m.
Extended Reality for Agricultural Training: Advancing Learning through Immersion at COOP
Fresno State Associate Professor Laura Huisinga Terpstra will explore how COOP integrates Extended Reality (XR) into its agricultural training modules to create immersive, hands-on learning experiences. By simulating real-world environments, XR enhances engagement, improves knowledge retention, and supports skill development. Huisinga teaches immersive design and UX UI design in the Art, Design, and Art History Department and has a Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction and an MFA in Graphic Design from Iowa State University. Dr. Huisinga is also the UX Director of Center for the Optimization Of Poultry (COOP) at Fresno State, and will be joined by student assistants Camille Amezcua and Brandon Howell-Perez.

1:30-1:55 p.m.
Predicting Ice Cream Meltability with ML and spectroscopy
Fresno State Food Science and Nutrition researcher Dr. Paulina Freire will discuss using spectroscopy as a non-destructive and rapid alternative to assess the meltability of ice cream. Food researchers have traditionally used other, less efficient methods to measure ice cream quality, especially its resistance to melting and shape retention, which can be subjective, destructive, and labor-intensive. She received her Ph.D. in Food Science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, and her degrees are in Biotechnology Engineering and Master of Engineering, with majors in quality and productivity.

2-2:25 p.m.
The Smart Dairy AI Initiative: Bringing AI to the Dairy Products Production Industry
Fresno State Food Science and Nutrition researcher Dr. Paulina Freire will examine how the dairy processing industry is at a critical turning point, where traditional methods must evolve beyond “blind” processing systems that depend on experience rather than real-time, sensor-based insights. By integrating AI-driven optical sensing and predictive modeling directly into production lines, our solution enables real-time, non-destructive quality control that enhances consistency, boosts yield, lowers energy costs, and drives smarter, more sustainable dairy processing. Freire conducts research tied to dairy production methods, sensory analysis, machine learning, and rapid detection methods for functional properties analysis.

Wednesday, February 11

Wine and Cheese Tasting
Sample Fresno State Winery favorites at the Wine and Cheese Lounge (near DS80 booth, on corner of S Street and South St./Jersey Lane, near Southeast entrance off U Street)

Thursday, February 12

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Information Booth
Students, alumni, community and industry members can learn more about exciting Fresno State, Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences Technology, 1,000-acre campus farm and research programs from Ag Ambassador students, faculty, and staff. (Ag Careers & Education Pavilion Booth 7002-03)