Biography

Nithya Rajan, Ph.D., is a professor of agronomy and agroecology in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. Rajan’s extensive research contributions are reflected in her publication record, including over 68 peer-reviewed journal articles, two book chapters, and over 250 abstracts and presentations. Rajan and her team have secured over $250 million in funding from agencies including USDA, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education and NASA. She is currently serving as a member representing academia on the Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Committee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She was also elected as the 2024 chair for the climatology and modeling section of the American Society of Agronomy. She also serves as the program planning officer for the Crop Science Society of America, actively contributing to shaping the organization’s programmatic activities.

Rajan earned her bachelor’s from Kerala Agricultural University, India, and her master’s in soil science and agricultural chemistry from A.N.G.R. Agricultural University, India. She earned her doctorate in agronomy from Texas Tech. After her post-doctoral research at Texas Tech, Rajan joined AgriLife Research as an assistant professor in cropping systems at the Texas A&M AgriLife center at Vernon in 2010. Currently, she holds a tenured professor position in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and leads a research program on climate-smart farming.