Cindy T.

Escobar

STAT 199 YZ2

Critic Paper on an Outside Seminar

The seminar is entitled, Use of Genomics in the Improvement of Agriculture. Through

the title, I became interested to listen because I think that the topic is about genetics, which I
have interested in. Fortunately, the whole seminar is just exactly about as the title implies
although I had a hard time understanding some unfamiliar terms.
The speaker explained the importance of using genomics to improve the yield and
resistance of the plants. In the first minutes, She discussed different techniques currently used in
agriculture and emphasized the importance of genetic knowledge to further improve the plants
characteristics. She identified the following methods currently being used to improve crop
production: Traditional breeding, Marker-Selection, Transgenic Technology and RNAi. She
briefly explained each method and identified the advantages and disadvantages of using each.
After introducing the techniques, she emphasized that knowing the gene sequence of a
plant trait can help improve the resistance to pests of the crops and their reproduction.
Identifying which location in the DNA sequence is responsible for the resistance and
susceptibility of the plants for alteration, can possibly increase the crop production. Experiments
were being conducted and there have been successful discoveries. Studies on these discoveries
are still on-going.
In terms of the delivery of her speech, the speaker has a clear, audible voice. She spoke
fluently in English and seems to know her topic well because of her confidence. She maintained
an eye contact with the audience although she did not move from one position to another in her
presentation. I think it was the appropriate thing to do in a presentation since the audience might
get distracted if the speaker moves too much especially if the audience is copying something
from her slides. On the other hand, her attire is appropriate in the event.
The visual presentation can be clearly read because of large font and good background.
The speaker was able to speak spontaneously while referring to her slides. The information
included in her slide is enough to summarize what she wants to talk about which is really good if
the audience would want to take notes.
After the discussion, the speaker is open for questions and clarification. I commend her
humility while answering the questions. She was not a know-it-all speaker although you can feel
the seriousness of her answer through her voice. Since the topic is about genetics, I wanted to ask
questions but unfortunately, I did not understand most parts in the seminar. I realized, I should
have a background first before attending a seminar to make the most out of it