Agronomy professor listed among world’s most influential researchers for third consecutive year
Vara Prasad is a man of many titles: doctor, American Society of Agronomy fellow, distinguished College of Agriculture agronomy professor, principal investigator and many more. Now for the third year in a row, Prasad can also say he is one of the most influential researchers in the world.
Among other top agronomists, Prasad has been listed on Clarivate’s 2024 Most Highly Cited Researchers list, an award given to researchers who rank in the top 1% for citations in their given field and uphold esteemed research reputations.
“This prestigious achievement is a testament to Vara’s groundbreaking research and dedication, and the impact he continues to make on the agricultural field,” said Hans Coetzee, interim vice president for research.
A professor of graduate-level courses, Prasad is also director for both the Center for Sorghum Improvement and the newly announced Climate Resilient Sustainable Innovation Lab, which received a $50 million grant from USAID’s Feed the Future program to research sustainable crop yielding.
While monumental, Prasad’s time at K-State is still a drop in the bucket of contributions he has made. Having delivered more than 150 talks in 40 countries, trained more than 30 international scholars and led outreach efforts on almost every continent, he has changed the agricultural field globally.
But even as a data connoisseur, Prasad says, “It’s not about the numbers. This work is about individuals, meaning lives and livelihoods.”
“If it were just about numbers, we could reach those numbers, but it’s not just a check mark for us,” he continued. “We want to make a positive impact, change the lives of people and then make sure it’s done right so that they also develop the passion to help others.”
CHECK IT OUT
See the citations of Prasad’s papers. (hyperlink: P.V. Vara Prasad – Google Scholar)
Written By: Abbigail Marshall
Curated from: https://www.k-state.edu/today/announcement/?id=101137, https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/2024-11/Prasad-to-lead-Climate-Resilient-Sustainable-Intensification-Innovation-Lab.html
