02 Dec 2008
IMPORTANT STAFF CHANGES ANNOUNCED FOR IPNI INDIA PROGRAM
IMPORTANT STAFF CHANGES ANNOUNCED FOR IPNI INDIA PROGRAM
December 1, 2008—Norcross, Georgia, USA—The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) is announcing a series of significant changes to the India Program staff. The announcement comes from IPNI President Dr. Terry L. Roberts and Dr. Adrian Johnston, IPNI Vice President, Asia and Oceania Group.
Effective January 1, 2009, Dr. Kaushik Majumdar of Kolkata will be appointed to the position of Director of the India Program. Dr. Majumdar succeeds Dr. K.N. Tiwari, who served as Director of the India Program since 1998 and retires from IPNI effective December 31, 2008. IPNI management is also announcing the appointment of two new Deputy Directors in India. Dr. Harmandeep Singh Khurana will have responsibility in India-West Zone, while Dr. T. Satyanarayana will work in India-South Zone and Sri Lanka. Dr. T. Nagendra Rao resigned from the India Program staff in October 2008.
Dr. Majumdar is a native of West Bengal and has served as IPNI Deputy Director, India-East Zone, since 1999. He received his B.Sc.(Ag) Hons. degree from Visva-Bharati University in 1984, M.Sc. (Ag) in Agriculture Chemistry and Soil Science from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV) in 1987, and Ph.D. from Rutgers University in Soil Mineralogy and Soil Chemistry in 1993. Dr. Majumdar returned to BCKV as a research associate in 1994, and then joined the Potash Research Institute of India from 1995 to 1999 where he worked on K mineralogy and dynamics in Indian soils. Since joining IPNI, Dr. Majumdar has been based in Kolkata and actively involved in all aspects of program activities in eastern India and Bangladesh.
Dr. Khurana officially joined the staff of IPNI as Deputy Director, India Program-West Zone, effective July 1, 2008. He received his Ph.D. in 2005 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. 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 N in soil and water. From 2005 to 2006, he served on the staff at PAU as an Assistant Professor, Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, with 100% research responsibility. Dr. Khurana has received numerous awards and recognition for academic and research achievements, and is the author or co-author of several research publications.
Dr. Satyanarayana joined the staff of IPNI as Deputy Director, India Program-South Zone, effective November 1, 2008. In 2005, Dr. Satyanarayana received his Ph.D. degree from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi. He received his M.Sc. degree at Dr. Y.S.P.U.H. & F. in Himachal Pradesh in 2001, and his B.Sc. Ag. from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 1998. Most recently, Dr. Satyanarayana was Deputy Manager-Business Development & Agri Technical Services, with Shriram Fertilizers & Chemicals, DSCL. In that role, he was involved with identifying emerging trends in agriculture and other allied businesses, imparting training, developing publications, and coordinating the functioning of 110 Shriram Krishi Vikas Kendras (SKVKs). From 2005 to 2007, he worked as Deputy Manager-Regulatory Affairs, with Coromandel Fertilisers Ltd. in Hyderabad. Dr. Satyanarayana was also a Senior Research Fellow at IARI from 2001 to 2002 and worked on projects related to the rice-wheat cropping system. He is author or co-author of several research publications.
Dr. Tiwari joined the staff of the PPI/PPIC (now IPNI) India Program as Deputy Director in June 1998 and was named Director on July 1, 1998. During his 10 years with PPI/PPIC and IPNI, Dr. Tiwari provided leadership in developing information on fertilizer management practices in India which can be readily transferred to farmers to improve yield, quality, and profitability. He also provided training opportunities for scientists, extension workers, fertilizer industry personnel, agricultural students, farmers, and children. A prolific writer, Dr. Tiwari released a large number of scientific and extension publications on the impact of balanced fertilizer use on crop production, profitability, and food security in India.
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