US-based agri geneticist is Punjab Agri University VC

Ludhiana Apr 30 (UNI) Internationally renowned and US-based agri geneticist Manjit Singh Kang will be the new Vice Chancellor of the prestigious Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

His name was approved by PAUs Board of Management which met at Chandigarh today under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary R I Singh.

Punjab Governor and the university Chancellor Gen (retd) S F Rodrigues accorded his approval to the appointment of Dr Kang.

Dr Kang will be the ninth VC of PAU. He succeeds Dr A S Aulakh who had tendered his resignation early this month.

An internationally acclaimed scientist, Dr Kang, is at present Professor of Quantitative Genetics at Louisiana State University, USA. He is Fellow of 'American Society of Agronomy' and 'Crop Science Society of America'.

He has also been a Fulbright Senior Scholar to Malaysia in 1999. Besides, he is the President of two bodies--- 'Association of Agricultural Scientists of Indian Origin (AASIO)' and 'Louisiana State Conference of American Association of University Professors'.

Dr Kang is an old alumnus of PAU where he earned his BSc Agri (Hons) in 1968. Thereafter, he went to USA where he did his Master's in plant genetics from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in 1971, and MA in botany from the same university's Carbondale Campus in 1977. He obtained his PhD in crop science in 1977 from University of Missouri, Columbia.

Starting his career as Research Associate at Washington University, St Louis in 1977, Dr Kang since then has served in many prestigious American Universities like University of Missouri, University of Florida and Louisiana State University. Besides, he has been Research Manager with Cargill, Inc.

Winner of many national and international awards and honours, Dr Kang's name gets mention in Marquis Who's Who Medicine and Health care (1997-98); Who's Who in the South and Southwest (1997-98), Who's Who in the World (1998-99), Who's Who in America (2000); Marquis Who's Who of Emerging Leaders in America (3 rd Edition) and Marquis Who's Who in the South and Southwest (22nd Edition).

Besides being an eminent scientist, Dr Kang has aptitude for writing. He has authored nine books and contributed to 27 book chapters, monographs and proceedings in genetics and plant breeding.

He has also published more than 90 research papers in international journals.

He is Senior Editor of 'Journal of Crop Improvement' and 'Journal of New Seeds'. He is Associate Editor of 'Crop Science' and 'Agronomy Journal'. As a student at PAU, he was Student Editor of PAU Magazine (English section).

The PAU Teachers Association (PAUTA) has welcomed the appointment of Dr Kang.

UNI