On Thursday, November 19, 2026, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will host the 17th Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture at its headquarters in Washington, DC. The lecture is presented by AAAS, the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation (RMF), and the World Food Prize Foundation (WFPF), with support from CAST.
The lecture: “Soil: An Endless Frontier of Discovery and a Shrinking Resource”
This year’s lecturer is Dr. Jo Handelsman. She is Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a Vilas Research Professor, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Her remarks will cover soil issues on a global scale, including the causes of soil loss and possible solutions.
A Q&A and a panel discussion will follow, with:
- Dr. Laura van der Pol, The Land Institute
- Dr. Max Häggblom, Rutgers University
- Dr. Gwyn Beattie, Iowa State University
- Moderator: Dr. Angela Kent, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The lecture is hybrid. A reception follows for in-person attendees.
The 2026 AAAS-RMF Policy Roundtable
Earlier that afternoon, a moderated panel of four experts will take up this question: “What does the agriculture sector need to better advance its work as a long-term national priority for resilience, productivity, profitability and security? Is a new national outlook an imperative?” The topic relates to the work of CAST’s Strategic Advisory Council.
- Chris Boomsma, CEO, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
- Karl Anderson, Senior Staff, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
- Josh Garetson, Director for Corporate Strategy and Economics, John Deere
- Katherine Sixt, Executive Director of the Office of the Chief Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Moderator: Daniel Robison, President of the C.V. Riley Memorial Foundation and Professor at Iowa State University
The roundtable is in person only and includes Q&A with the audience.
Student Poster Competition
RMF and AAAS are also holding their second student poster competition, held together with the lecture. It is open to student research in agriculture, natural resources, food science, and closely related fields. First place receives $300 and second place $150. Competition details
Schedule (all times ET)
- Policy Roundtable: 2:30–4:00 p.m. (in person only)
- Lecture: 5:00–6:30 p.m. (hybrid)
- Reception: 6:30–8:30 p.m. (in person only)
Location: AAAS Headquarters, 1200 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC
Attendance is free, but registration is required.
For more information, visit aaas.org/riley-lecture or contact the AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues at epicenter@aaas.org.
