Meetings
September Meeting
DATE CHANGED
Thursday, Sept 17, 2026
7:00 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM)
Location: St. Phillips in the Hills, Murphey Gallery
Roots
Presented by William LaVoy
William LaVoy
3D point cloud (collection of data points in three-dimensional space) of a common bean root system. An example of the use of powerful computational tools to help shape our understanding of how plants behave underground.
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Bio: "William LaVoy started his career with plants at the Muir Woods National Monument working for the National Park Service, while studying botany at San Francisco State University. He then shifted focus to agriculture where he worked with symbiotic mycorrhiza and their role in drought tolerance in rice, while obtaining a Master’s at Mahidol University in Thailand. Now as a PhD candidate in the Computational Plant Science Lab with Dr. Alex Bucksch at the University of Arizona, William is pursuing the use of sophisticated technological tools to help better understand the impact of roots and their architecture on nutrient uptake to aid plant breeding efforts."
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"This presentation will focus on the often overlooked and hidden half of plants, the roots. Roots are responsible for the uptake and transportation of almost all nutrients required for happy and healthy plants. They also serve as the interface between the plant and the surrounding soil environment. Root signals will actively recruit beneficial soil micro-organisms and alert the rest of the plant about changing environmental conditions. Roots are amazingly complex and important, please join my presentation to learn all about them!"
Speaker Coordinator: Vonn Watkins Email
All are welcome!
Everyone is welcome to join us for this special in person presentation which will also be available on Zoom. This will be an important educational and informational event you must see! Excellent plant give-aways will take place at the in person meeting. After the meeting, please enjoy refreshments provided by our member volunteers. Also, everyone may take a special free plant when leaving, offered to you by the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society and local growers.
Please bring finger food that would serve 10-12 people according to schedule below. It’s MUCH appreciated!!
2026 Refreshment schedule - Last names beginning with:
Sep: A-G
Oct: H-M
Nov: N-Z
Dec 12, 1:00-5:00 PM: Holiday Potluck!
Meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month from January thru November.
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: St. Phillips in the Hills Episcopal Church - Murphey Gallery
4440 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85718
Our meetings are held at the Murphey Gallery at St. Philip's in the Hills Church, located at the northeast corner of River and Campbell. The property can be accessed from westbound River Road by turning into the driveway before the light at Campbell. Watch for St. Philip's signs. Going north on Campbell, take an immediate right onto the property after you go through the intersection.
We look forward to seeing you there!
We also offer a Zoom presentation
When you sign in to the Zoom you’re entered into a raffle for a $25 gift certificate to local nurseries.
Doors open at 6:00 PM before the presentation. We’ve added time for you to meet people and learn about our committees before and after each meeting. We’ll have tables setup with information about all of the work we do in the club. Come find out if there’s something that fits your own interests and consider volunteering!
