Hong Luo is a Professor in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry of Clemson University. He also serves as the Graduate Coordinator for the Clemson Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Programs. Dr. Hong Luo received his Ph. D. degree in Molecular Biology at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. His research mainly focuses on plant genomics, gene discovery in grasses and cereal crops, and genetic engineering of perennials and row crops. His work has led to the development of the first genetically engineered, environmentally safe, male-sterile and herbicide-resistant turfgrass plants and the development of a new method for hybrid crop production using site-specific DNA recombination systems. He recently received Clemson University 2013 Godley-Snell Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research. He currently maintains several active research projects for both basic and applied research on genetic modification of crop plants, and collaborates with scientists across continents. He has authored or co-authored numerous research papers, book chapters and review articles, and is the inventor on a number of patents in plant biotechnology issued or in various stages of application. He serves as an ad hoc peer reviewer for more than twenty-five international professional journals and serves as a reviewer or as a panel member for various federal, regional and state funding agencies.

Yanqi Wu is an associate professor and holds the Meibergen Family Professorship in Plant Breeding in Plant and Soil Sciences Department at Oklahoma State University. He earned his Ph. D. degree in Crop Science with an emphasis in Genetics and Breeding of perennial grass species from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Wu’s research is centered on the development of new cultivars, and genetic and genomic research on important agronomic traits in bermudagrass used for turf and forage, and switchgrass for bioenergy. Four new cultivars, ‘Cimarron’ switchgrass, ‘Goodwell’ forage bermudagrass, ‘NorthBridge’ turf bermudagrass, and ‘Latitude 36’ turf bermudagrass have been released from the breeding program in recent five years. Dr. Wu published 31 refereed journal articles, 11 technical publications, 65 abstracts, and 6 book chapters. He received the

2010 Early Career Award of the National Plant Breeders Association. Dr. Wu served as an ad hoc peer reviewer for more than twenty international peer-reviewed journals and as a reviewer or on review panels for federal and regional funding agencies in the United States.