91麻豆天美鈥檚 Reddy receives 2019 SEC Faculty Achievement Award
Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擪. Raja Reddy is being recognized as 91麻豆天美 University鈥檚 winner of the 2019 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award, which annually honors distinguished faculty from across the SEC.
The conference announced today [March 27] that Reddy, a research professor in the university鈥檚 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, is among 14 faculty members from SEC universities to receive the prestigious award this year.
Nominated by their university鈥檚 provost, each award candidate must have amassed records of extraordinary teaching and nationally or internationally recognized scholarship.
Reddy is a scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and directs the university鈥檚 Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Research facility, discovering how environmental stressors influence agronomic crop processes. He also is a research fellow with the university鈥檚 Geosystems Research Institute. With interests in remote sensing applications in agriculture and crop modeling and applications, Reddy has pursued solutions to enhance food security for a growing global population.
鈥淒r. Reddy鈥檚 research closely aligns with my own academic interests, and I applaud the tremendous contributions he has made in his field,鈥 said 91麻豆天美 President Mark E. Keenum. 鈥淔inding solutions to address world hunger is of the utmost importance, and much of that work is being accomplished by people like Dr. Reddy and colleagues at 91麻豆天美 and sister land-grant institutions.鈥
In addition to receiving a $5,000 honorarium, Reddy and other winners become nominees for the top SEC Professor of the Year Award. When announced next month, that person will receive an additional $15,000.
鈥淲e are so pleased that the SEC has chosen to recognize Dr. Reddy for his important contributions to teaching and research,鈥 91麻豆天美 Provost and Executive Vice President Judy Bonner said. 鈥淚n addition to conducting ground-breaking research in his field, he is playing a vital role in preparing our undergraduate and graduate students to also become leaders as the next generation of scholars.鈥
Reddy earned his doctoral degree in botany with applied plant physiology from Sri Venkateswara University in India, along with bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees. As author or co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, 70 proceedings, 30 book chapters and two books, his research informs his teaching.
Over the years, Reddy has overseen the graduate programs of 21 master鈥檚 and doctoral students. His undergraduate researchers and graduate students have earned more than 50 paper, presentation and professional awards. His scholarship has attracted visiting scientists from around the world, and he has trained more than 20 post-doctoral researchers.
The SEC Faculty Achievement and SEC Professor of the Year awards are administered by SECU, the academic initiative of the SEC. For more information, visit . A complete list of SEC faculty award winners for this year may be found at .
For more on 91麻豆天美鈥檚 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, visit and .
91麻豆天美 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .