UT Institute of Agriculture Presents Top Faculty and Staff Awards for 2023
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture recognized some of its top faculty, staff, researchers and Extension experts at UTIA’s annual awards and promotions luncheon on the UTIA campus in Knoxville on August 15, 2023. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the Institute.
UT Institute of Agriculture Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the award winners and celebrated their work. “I’m excited to celebrate the amazing work of our UTIA faculty and staff,” says Carver. “These awards are well-deserved and represent our employees’ steadfast dedication to their work, the Institute and the people of Tennessee. The impact of their accomplishments and passion will be felt for generations to come.”
Sindhu Jagadamma, associate professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, is the recipient of the AgResearch Mid-Career Faculty Research Excellence Award. This award recognizes demonstrated commitment and meritorious achievements in research by faculty during the mid-stage of their academic career. The emphasis is on the impacts that a faculty member’s efforts in research and technology development have had on UT AgResearch stakeholders or the science community at large, especially during the past five years. Both tenure and non-tenure track faculty are eligible.
“Winning this award in my first year as associate professor comes with a big surprise and excitement. This would not have been possible without the strong and unconditional support from my lab members, BESS department, UTIA administration, and my family,” she says.
Jagadamma has been with UT for seven years. Among her many accomplishments, are 60 peer-reviewed publications, 13 graduate students and four postdoc advisees, more than $7 million in grants to her research program including four USDA-NIFA awards as lead principal investigator and four as co-principal investigator, one NSF award as co-principal investigator, and two USDA-NRCS Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities award as co-principal investigator.
In addition to her current award, Jagadamma received the University of Tennessee Graduate Student Senate’s Graduate Student Mentor of the Year in 2023, the Gamma Sigma Delta Tennessee Chapter Research Award in 2022, the BESS Outstanding Research Faculty Award in 2018 and 2022, and the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities in 2017.
Jagadamma earned her doctorate and master’s degree in soil science and agronomy from Ohio State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in soil science and agronomy from Kerala Agricultural University.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.