AASIO Webinar

Our second webinar is scheduled for June 30, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time.  Speaker: Dr. Nithya Rajan To learn more about Dr. Rajan, please visit her website (https://www.nithyarajan.com/) or LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nithya-rajan-a39b2812b/).  The Zoom meeting link has been emailed to all the AASIO members. If you did not receive an email or are interested in joining AASIO, please get in touch with rahulr@vt.edu. Also, encourage your team members to attend and engage. If you… Read More

Congratulations to Dr. Rajeev Varshney elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (AAS)

Heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Rajeev Varshney on being elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (AAS)—a well-deserved recognition for his outstanding contributions to genomics and molecular breeding. His research has been instrumental in advancing crop productivity and global food security, making a profound impact on agricultural science. The Australian Academy of Science is an independent institution dedicated to championing science for the benefit of all. Its mission is to advance Australia as… Read More

Remembering Dr. Manjit Singh Kang: A Pillar of Agricultural Excellence

Ludhiana, May 03, 2024 – Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Manjit Singh Kang, esteemed alumnus and former Vice-Chancellor, on May 02, 2024. A pioneer in quantitative genetics and crop improvement, Dr. Kang’s contributions profoundly impacted agricultural science. Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, current Vice-Chancellor, expressed deep sorrow, praising Dr. Kang as an inspirational leader and dedicated academician whose work significantly advanced agricultural practices.            … Read More

2020 Outstanding Agricultural Scientist Award: Dr. Vijay Gopal Kakani

Dr. Vijay Gopal Kakani is one of the two recipients of the 2020 Outstanding Agricultural Scientist Award. Dr. Kakani is the Warth and Sarkeys Distinguished Professor of Crops, Energy, and Climate in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Oklahoma State University. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agronomy from Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, and a doctoral degree in agriculture from the University of Reading in England. He has research experience across continents,… Read More

2020 Outstanding Agricultural Scientist Award: Dr. Devinder Sandhu

Dr. Devinder Sandhu is one of the two recipients of the 2020 Outstanding Agricultural Scientist Award. Dr. Sandhu finished his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as a gold medalist from Punjab Agricultural University and obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Dr. Sandhu then served as an Assistant Scientist at Iowa State University and subsequently as faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP). At UWSP, Dr. Sandhu received both the… Read More

2020 Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award: Dr. Raju Bheemanahalli Rangappa

Dr. Raju Bheemanahalli Rangappa, who grew up on his family’s farm in Bheemanahalli, Karnataka, India. He earned M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru, India, graduated as a gold medalist in Crop Physiology, one of the university’s highest academic honors. He went on to work at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines before completing post-doctorate research in Dr. Jagadish Krishna at Kansas State University.   Dr. Rangappa joined Mississippi State University as an assistant research… Read More

2020 Outstanding Postdoc Award: Dr. Udayakumar Sekaran

Dr. Sekaran received his Ph.D. in Soil Science from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. After that, he joined as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate with Dr. Sandeep Kumar at South Dakota State University in December 2017. In June 2020, Dr. Sekaran joined Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University as a Research Specialist with Dr. Bhupinder Farmaha. In the past five years, his research focused on the impacts of different conservation practices on soil health indicators such… Read More