Presentations

A. Invited (oral)

1. Tayal, M. (2025). Pollen-Borne Viruses: An Overlooked Link Between Pollinators and Plant Disease Spread at P-IE section symposium ‘Conversations between entomologists and plant pathologists: Joining forces to control pathogens’ at 2025 ESA National Meeting in Portland, OR (Invitation accepted)

2.  Tayal, M., Rajarapu, P., Bal, H., Singh, G., and Jindal, V. (2025). Navigating U.S. Graduate School Applications: A Step-by-Step Guide at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, India (Virtual)

3.  Tayal, M., Schnabel, E., and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2025). The potential role of bees in the dispersal of pollen-borne viruses in peach orchards at the 97th ESA SEB Meeting in Baton Rouge, LA.

4.  Tayal, M. (2024). Academic milestones: Reflecting on my graduate journey with personal backstories. Presented to the Kariyat lab at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

5.  Tayal, M. (2023). Scientific writing and sticking to deadlines. A Graduate Student’s Approach. Cieniewicz’s lab Writing Retreat. Clemson, SC.

6.  Tayal, M and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2023). The role of bees in the spread of peach viruses in South Carolina. Clemson University Graduate School Development Board, Clemson, SC.

7.  Tayal, M. (2022). An overview of the PES Graduate Student Association for incoming National Needs Fellows. College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, Clemson, SC.

B. Scientific meetings (oral)

1. Tayal, M., Schnabel, E., and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2024). Utilizing high-throughput sequencing to understand the movement of pollen-borne viruses at the agroecological interface at the 2024 Annual Meeting of ESA in Phoenix, AZ. *Won 1st place in P-IE, Vectors of Plant Disease 2 Grad 10-min paper competition

2.  Tayal, M., Wilson, C., Schnabel, E., and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2023). Understanding the bee-mediated movement of pollen-borne viruses at the cultivated peach-wild cherry agroecological interface at the 2023 Annual Meeting of ESA at National Harbor, MD.

3. Cieniewicz, E. J., Tayal, M., Rodriguez, F. B., Fuchs., M. (2023). Ecological aspects of virus transmission in perennial fruit crop systems in the southeast. at 2023 Annual Meeting of ESA at National Harbor, MD.

4. Tayal, M., Ratay, A., Swift, N., Kaur, S., Russo, O., Kariyat, R., and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2023). The invisible connection: exploring the effect of viral infections on peach (Prunus persica) pollen health. Plant Health 2023 Meeting in Denver, CO, USA.

5. Cieniewicz, E. J., Tayal, M. (2023). Unraveling the spread of pollen-borne viruses in fruit trees. Department of Entomology Seminar, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Virtual.

6. Cieniewicz, E. J., Tayal, M. (2023). Ecology of pollen-transmitted viruses in peach orchards in the Southeast U.S. Department Seminar, Entomology, The Ohio State University. Virtual.

7. Tayal, M. and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2022). Bees-mediated movement of pollen-borne viruses in peach orchards in South Carolina, USA. 2022 Joint Annual Meeting of ESA, ESC, ESBC, at Vancouver, BC, Canada.

8. Tayal, M. and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2022). Bees can spread viruses in peaches. Clemson University Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. *Awarded 2nd place in non-PhD Candidate Category

9. Tayal, M., Wilson, C., Cieniewicz, E. J. (2022). Flower-visitors (bees and thrips) carry pollen-borne viruses in peaches in South Carolina at 68th Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Entomological Society, Georgetown, SC.

10. Tayal, M. and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2022). Beneficial pollinators can spread viruses unintendedly. CAFLS Graduate Student Research Symposium at Pee Dee Rec, Florence, SC. (3MT Competition)

11. Tayal, M. and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2021). The potential role of bees in the transmission of pollen-borne viruses in peach orchards. 2021 Southeastern Professional Fruit Workers Conference. *Awarded 2nd place in the Graduate Student Competition.

12. Kariyat, RR., Kaur, J., Tayal, M., Singh, S. (2021).  Insect Ecology in the Rio Grande Valley: Current Research and Future Directions. 75th Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society, Weslaco, TX, USA

13. Tayal, M. and Kariyat, R. (2020). Buzz-pollination biomechanics of silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) in its native range. 2020 Entomological Virtual Annual Meeting.

C. Scientific meetings (posters)

1. Tayal, M., Lee, S., Walgenbach, JF (2025). Management of western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) in tomatoes using cultural and chemical tactics at the 2025 UNC Postdoc Research Symposium, Durham, NC

2. Tayal, M., Sciarresi, C., Oster, C., Wihlm, M., Benson, C., Klunker, T., Jordan, K., Thompson, S., and Sethi, A., (2024). Assessing initial resistance allele frequency and evaluating the effectiveness of insecticidal proteins against the Fall armyworm population. 2024 Corteva Summer Intern Poster Symposium, Johnston, IA

3. Tayal, M., Wilson, C., Marquez de la Plata, Z., and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2024). Bee diversity and abundance during peach bloom in South Carolina at the ESA Southeastern branch meeting in Augusta, GA. *Secured 1st place in Ph.D. Poster Competition.

4. Tayal, M., Wilson, C., Cieniewicz, E. J. (2023). Assessing bee diversity and abundance of peach orchards in South Carolina at the 69th Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Entomological Society, Columbia, SC. *Awarded Outstanding PhD Poster Presentation Award.

5. Tayal, M., Ratay, A., Swift, N., Kaur, S., Russo, O., Kariyat, R., and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2023). Impact of viral infection on peach pollen health: Insights for pollen-borne virus transmission in peach orchards. CAFLS 2nd Graduate Student Research Symposium at Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Georgetown, SC.

6. Tayal, M. and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2021). The role of flower-visiting insects in the spread of pollen-borne viruses in peach orchards. 2021 Entomology Annual Meeting organized by the Entomological Society of America at Denver, CO, USA

7. Famador, E., Jimenez, B., Tayal, M., Singh, S., Kariyat, RR. (2020). Understanding the biomechanics underlying buzz pollination in native pollinators using Audacity software. High Scholar Annual Research Symposium, UTRGV, TX, USA

8. Gandhi, A., Chapa, C., Tayal, M., Kariyat, RR., Sahoo, N. (2020) “Caterpillar Oral Secretion Elicits Reactive Oxygen Species in Isolated Plant Protoplasts’. 64th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Diego, CA, USA

9.  Tayal, M., Chavana, J., Kariyat, RR., (2019) “Using an Electric toothbrush to improve the Buzz Pollination”. College of Sciences Annual Research Conference, UTRGV, TX, USA

10. Tayal, M., Chavana, J., Kariyat, RR., (2019) “Electric toothbrush: An alternative to tuning fork for artificial Buzz Pollination”. 73rd Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society, Weslaco, TX, USA

11. Rodriguez, I., Trujillo, P., Tayal, M., Somavat, P., Kariyat, RR., (2019) “Anthocyanin rich purple corn pericarp extract negatively affects Tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta L.) caterpillars” High Scholar Annual Research Symposium, UTRGV, TX, USA *Awarded Ist place in High-scholar Student Poster Competition

12. Tayal, M., Spor- Leal, M., O’Neil, A., (2019) Trade-offs between drought tolerance and drought avoidance in South Texas plant species. Department of Biology, UTRGV, TX, USA