18 Aug 2008

HARMANDEEP SINGH KHURANA JOINS STAFF OF IPNI AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR, INDIA PROGRAM–WEST ZONE


HARMANDEEP SINGH KHURANA JOINS STAFF OF IPNI AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR, INDIA PROGRAM–WEST ZONE


September 1, 2008 – Norcross, Georgia, USA – Dr. Harmandeep Singh Khurana has joined the staff of the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) as Deputy Director, India Program-West Zone, effective July 1, 2008. He will be working in coordination with Dr. K.N. Tiwari, Director of the IPNI India Program.

“Dr. Khurana has an outstanding record of academic achievement plus valuable experience as a researcher focused on understanding factors that influence plant nutrition, including soil fertility, fertilizer rates and application timing, and management systems to optimize nutrient uptake efficiency in cereal crops. With his post-doctoral responsibilities and previous work related to the rice crop in India, he is well-qualified for this new role,” said IPNI President Dr. Terry L. Roberts. “His related skills in programming and statistics, laboratory procedures, and communications are unique.”

In 2005, Dr. Khurana received his Ph.D. in Soils at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), in Ludhiana, India. He earlier earned his Masters degree in 2001 and B.S. in 1999 at the same university. From 2006 until 2008, Dr. Khurana was Postdoctoral Associate, Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, in the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. In that responsibility, he modified and tested a soil-water-plant-atmosphere simulation model related to site-specific management and analyzed the fate of excess nitrogen in soil and water.

Recently, he was involved in testing and improving the algorithm for an optical sensor to improve nitrogen use efficiency through understanding the complexity of factors that affect prediction of the genotypic yield performance of corn and wheat. During 2005 and 2006, Dr. Khurana was Assistant Professor, Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, at PAU, with 100% research responsibility.

Dr. Khurana has received numerous awards and recognition for academic and research achievements, including best all round postgraduate student of PAU Award in 2002 and All-India Best Ph.D. Thesis Presentation Award, Indian Society of Soil Science, 2005.

His publications include research, extension, and popular articles, proceedings papers, and abstracts. He has also prepared a considerable number of presentations and invited lectures.

Dr. Khurana is active in professional societies, including the American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, Indian Society of Soil Science, Punjab Academy of Sciences, and “Global Response”, an environmental and education network.
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For further information, please contact Dr. Terry L. Roberts at IPNI: tel. 1.770.447.0335; e-mail: troberts@ipni.net.



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