Dr. Prasanta Kumar Kalita
PRAVASI FELLOW, ELECTED 2022
Born in a small village in Assam, India on March 1, 1961. Educated at Chapar Higher Secondary School, Assam, 1974-78; Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 1978-82; Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand, 1985-86; Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA, 1988-92; B. Tech. 1982; M. Engg. 1986; Ph.D. 1992.
Professor and Leader, Soil & Water Resources Engineering (2008 to date), Director of the Appropriate Scale Mechanization Consortium (2018 to date), the Presidential Fellow (2018 to date), and Distinguished Teacher Scholar; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801, USA.
Post-doctoral Research Associate, USDA-ARD, 1992-94; Assistant Professor, Kansas State University, 1994-99; Assistant & Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999-2007; Assistant Dean of Research, 2012-2016; Associate Dean of Academic Programs, 2016-18; Director of the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss, 2013-2017; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
Awards/Honours: Kishida International Award, American Soc. of Ag & Bio. Engineers (ASABE), USA, 2020; Certificate of Excellence, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), USA, 2018; Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement, University of Illinois, USA, 2015; Paul Funk Recognition Award for Outstanding Service to Agriculture, University of Illinois, USA, 2013; Faculty Award for Global Impact, College of ACES, University of Illinois, USA 2012; International Teaching Award of Excellence, North American Colleges & Teachers of Ag (NACTA), USA, 2012; ASABE President’s Award for outstanding leadership to the ASABE, USA 2012; Rose Award for Teaching Excellence, College of Engineering, University of Illinois, USA, 2011; College of ACES Senior Faculty Excellence Award, University of Illinois, USA, 2011; Distinguished Teacher Scholar Award, University of Illinois, USA, 2007; Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, University of Illinois, USA, 2007; ASABE Distinguished Service Citation Award, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2007; Central Regional Outstanding Teacher Award, NACTA, Vancouver, Canada, 2006; Karl E. Gardner Outstanding Undergraduate Advising Award, College of ACES, University of Illinois, USA, 2006; Accenture Outstanding Engineering Advisor, College of Engineering, University of Illinois, USA, 2002, 2004, 2006; National Award of Excellence in University Teaching, APLU, Washington, D.C., USA, 2005; Best Research Paper Award, International Association of Science & Technology for Development (IASTD), California, USA, 2003; Research Excellence Award, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA, 1992.
Fellow: American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE), USA; Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE), India.
Research Areas: Water resources management, climate change, water quality and environmental sustainability, food security
Address: Professor & Presidential Fellow, 1304 West Pennsylvania Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 USA; 1610 Congressional Way, Champaign, Illinois 61822, USA; [Tel: Off. (001) 2173330945; Res. (001) 2177661875; Cell: (001) 2177661875; Fax: (001) 2172440323; Email: pkalita@illinois.edu]
