National Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Dr. Surajit Kumar De Datta
Foreign Fellow, Elected 1995

Born in Shewbo, Myanmar on 1 August 1936. Educated in High School at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar, Bihar; Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, B.S. 1956; Associate IARI, 1958; Ph.D, University of Hawaii, 1962.

Emeritus Professor and Adjunct Senior Research Faculty, OIRED Virginia Tech. 2013 to date.

Post Doctoral Fellow, Ohio State University, 1962-63; Agronomist, 1964-67, Head, Department of Agronomy, 1967-89, Principal Scientist, 1986-91, IRRI, Philippines; Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech. 1993-2003; Professor Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences 1991-2013, Director, Office of International Research, Education and Development (OIRED) 1991-2013, and Associate Vice President for International Affairs, Virginia Tech. 2003-2013.

Awards/Honours: Distinguished Award in Pest Management, 1975; WSSP Outstanding Achievement Award, 1979; Most Outstanding Research and Development Award, Philippines; ASA International Service in Agronomy, 1985; SSSA International Soil Science Award, 1986; BPI Eminence Award, Philippines 1987; ASA Agronomic Research Award, 1992; Norman Borlaug Award for Outstanding Contribution to Agricultural Sciences and Green Revolution in India, 1992; Honorary Professor Dniepropetrovsk State Agrarian University, Ukraine 1997; University of Hawaii Outstanding Almnus Award, 1999; CSSA International Service in Crop Science, 2000; Cliffton Garvin Award for outstanding Service and Dedication to the University (Virginia Tech), Board of Visitors Virginia Tech, USA; Presidential Citation from the President of Philippines 2008; Plaque of Recognition from the University of the Philippines and the International Rice Research Institute for his contributions to global food security and the Green Revolution in Asia 2008.

Fellow: ASA 1979; Soil Science Society of America 1985; Indian Society of Soil Science, 1990; Crop Science Society of America, 2000; American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2009; Honorary Fellow Crop Science Society of the Philippines.

Research Areas: Soil science, agronomy, weed science, IPM, natural resources management

Address: Emeritus Professor and, Adjunct Research Faculty, OIRED, Virginia Tech, 526 Prices Fork Road (0378), Blacksburg, VA, 24061 , USA; 5725 Guthrie Place, Davis, California 95618 , USA; [Tel: Res./Off. 1-530-758-2259; 1-530-574-5894; Fax: 1-530-758-2259; Email: dedatta@vt.edu; skdedatta@gmail.com]