Speakers

Steven J. Thomson is a National Program Leader (NPL) with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Fellow with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).

His career began as a research engineer with the University of Georgia (Tifton, Georgia), then he moved on for a Ph. D. at the University of Florida, where he developed a Cyber-Physical System that synergized soil-water sensing and soil-water balance modeling from the DSSAT series of models to more accurately characterize evapotranspiration for irrigation management

Thomson has a background in sensing and electronic systems, precision crop and water management, remote sensing, applied statistics, and spray-drift management for the aerial application of crop-protection materials. He has authored or co-authored over 100 journal articles, two book chapters, and several Extension publications and software. 

Walt Duflock is a leading voice in agricultural innovation, specializing in the commercialization of ag tech and the economics of technology adoption in specialty crops. His work focuses on one of the most pressing challenges facing agriculture today — the structural shortage of farm labor — and the role automation and advanced technologies must play to address it. Over the past decade, Walt has helped bridge the gap between growers, startups, investors, and policymakers to accelerate the deployment of practical solutions in the field. 

He is widely recognized for his thought leadership on ag tech adoption barriers, grower return-on-investment realities, and the ecosystem coordination required to bring new technologies to scale. His insights have been featured across industry publications, research reports, national agricultural forums, and numerous media articles. 

Walt is a fifth-generation family farmer from Monterey County, California, who operates cattle, specialty crops and wine grapes. Walt has over 25 years of experience in Silicon Valley startups, including eBay. Prior to Western Growers, Walt helped SVG-THRIVE build the top AgriFoodTech Accelerator. 

Lynn M. Sosnoskie is a weed scientist at Cornell University specializing in the evaluation of novel weed management technologies for specialty crop production.

She joined Cornell AgriTech in 2019 as an assistant professor of weed ecology and management in specialty crops in the horticulture section of the School of Integrative Plant Science.

Her research focuses on integrating emerging tools — such as electrical weeding, autonomous robotics, precision sprayers and laser weeders — with conventional practices to improve weed control efficiency, crop vigor, and system sustainability.

Sosnoskie works closely with growers and industry partners to test and refine innovative weed management solutions under commercial production conditions.

Stavros Vougioukas is a professor and vice chair in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis. He earned his doctorate in electrical, computer and systems engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, specializing in robotics and automation under a Fulbright Fellowship.

Before joining UC Davis in 2012, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Parma, Italy, and as a faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at Aristotle University in Greece.

His research focuses on robotic harvesting, labor-saving technologies, and precision yield mapping, supported by funding from USDA NIFA, grower commodity boards and industry.

Jason Brantley is vice president of small ag and turf production systems at John Deere. He is responsible for leading John Deere’s agricultural machinery and technology business focused on utility and mid tractors, high-value crop solutions, and dairy and livestock solutions globally.

Brantley is a proven marketing, business and innovation leader who thrives on developing strategies and solutions to equip farming customers with tools to help them work more efficiently, profitability and sustainably. Aligning sales, marketing, product development and manufacturing functions, his team identifies and delivers high-value opportunities to John Deere’s global stakeholders.

Brantley also serves as a board director for the Farm Foundation and Amadas Industries, the leading global manufacturer of peanut-harvesting equipment. He received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from North Carolina State University and his master of business administration from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University.