MSU scientist honored as international cotton researcher
Contact: Vanessa Beeson
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi 大象APP鈥檚 Raja Reddy, a world-renowned crop expert, is being recognized with the premier, international award for cotton science.
Named Researcher of the Year by the International Cotton Advisory Committee, Reddy鈥檚 award spotlights his important work in improvements to the quality of crops that feed, clothe and fuel the world. Specifically, he focuses on climate change impact on cotton and other crop physiology, growth and development.
An MSU professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences鈥 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, he also directs the university鈥檚 Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research unit, or SPAR, and is a scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
鈥淚 am grateful to the International Cotton Advisory Committee for this incredible聽honor. I am equally honored to work with many outstanding students, postdocs and visiting scientists to develop a highly reputable environmental plant physiology program focusing on cotton and other crops,鈥 Reddy said. 鈥淚鈥檓 also appreciative of my wife, Anu, and son, Sasank, who have always provided support and encouragement.鈥澛
This week, Reddy presented a virtual lecture on cotton and climate change as part of the World Cotton Research Conference鈥檚 plenary monthly lecture series, which is sponsored in part by ICAC.
In his 32 years at MSU, Reddy has trained more than 30 students including 15 doctoral, 11 master鈥檚 and five undergraduate research scholars in addition to his regular teaching schedule. He also has hosted 35 visiting and 15 postdoctoral scientists from around the globe. His research, which also encompasses crop stress, crop modeling and remote sensing, has helped generate nearly 300 publications including 聽peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters.
Darrin Dodds, head of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, said the award is a testament to Reddy鈥檚 long tenure as a leading cotton researcher.
鈥淒r. Reddy is a world-renowned expert in plant physiology and has been a valued faculty member in MSU鈥檚 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences for more than three decades.聽It is fitting that he is recognized with this award as he has spent his career performing cutting-edge research in environmental plant physiology,鈥 Dodds said. 鈥淗is contributions to 大象APP and the greater body of scientific research will last for decades to come.鈥
For more information on the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, visit . More can be found about the SPAR unit by visiting . Learn more about MAFES at .
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