Thornton-Massa Lecture Series
23rd Thornton-Massa Lecture Series
Colorado State University is proud to welcome Dr. Siobahn Brady as the distinguished speaker for the 2026 Thornton-Massa Lecture Series. This two-day event will offer a unique opportunity to explore the future of agriculture and plant biology through the lens of a world-renowned scientist, this year specifically focusing on systems biology of root development.
Dr. Siobahn Brady
Dr. Siobahn Brady is a professor at UC Davis and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and specializes in the regulation of gene expression in plant roots. Her research integrates genomics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics to understand how transcriptional networks control root development and response to environmental stress. By dissecting these complex regulatory pathways, she aims to uncover the mechanisms that enable plants to adapt to changing conditions, contributing to advancements in agricultural biotechnology and crop improvement. Her work is pivotal in developing resilient plant varieties for sustainable agriculture.
Public Lecture: How Plant Cell Development Helps Crops Adapt to Tough Environments
- Date: Monday, November 16, 2026
- Time: 4:30 p.m.
- Location: Center for Creativity, 200 Mathews St, Fort Collins, CO (Map)
- Open to: All
Scientific Lecture: Natural Variation Reveals Diverse Modes of Environmental Root Adaptation
- Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
- Time: 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Lory Student Center Longs Peak Room
- Open to: CSU Faculty, Staff, and Students
Thornton-Massa Lecture History
The annual Thornton-Massa lecture series honors the late Dr. Emil Massa and the late Bruce and Mildred Thornton, who all shared a passion for biodiversity, plant genetics, agriculture, and horticulture. These interests inspired their respective families to create an endowed public lecture series CSU, hosted jointly by the College of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Natural Sciences.
Massa was a Denver-based physician who also had a keen interest in plants. His study of plant genetics, biodiversity, and breeding led him to become involved in supporting the Denver Botanic Garden, the People Park program and this lecture series.
Bruce and Mildred Thornton both worked at the Colorado State Seed Laboratory. Mildred received her undergraduate degree from, as it was then known, Colorado State College, before getting her master’s in botany. She then went to work at the Federal Seed Laboratory in Washington, D.C. Bruce was a member of Colorado State College’s faculty and on staff of the Agricultural Experiment Station. Bruce and Mildred married in 1930, and 10 years later, Bruce became head of the Colorado State Seed Laboratory. When he retired in 1961, Mildred took over as director of the laboratory.
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