Krishna Jagadish, an internationally recognized crop and climate scientist and the Thornton Distinguished Chair in Texas Tech’s Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, has been named interim chair of the Department of Plant & Soil Science. He will assume the role on July 1.
Jagadish, who joined the Davis College faculty in 2022, will lead a department central to the university’s agricultural research and education mission. As interim chair, he will oversee faculty and student success across teaching, research, outreach, and service initiatives.
“Dr. Jagadish has a proven track record of leadership in Davis College and at Texas Tech,” said Clint Krehbiel, dean of Davis College. “The department is on a very positive trajectory, and he has experience both working in and building productive collaborations across a wide spectrum—from crop genetics to remote sensing and AI-driven agricultural solutions.”
In addition to his academic appointment, Jagadish directs the Texas Coalition for Sustainable Integrated Systems Research Program and the Davis College Water Center. He also coordinates the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation, underscoring his deep involvement in practical, field-based agricultural advancements across the state.
“Dr. Jagadish brings a vision and intellect, but he also brings a work ethic,” Krehbiel said. “Those are three key elements of a successful faculty member to what we do here.”
Jagadish maintains a productive research program including some 190 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has garnered nearly $22 million in research funding as principal investigator from federal and industry agencies. He also maintains a strong record in teaching and outreach and engagement.
Before joining Davis College faculty, Jagadish served as professor in Kansas State University’s Department of Agronomy. He also worked as a post-doctoral fellow, scientist I & II and deputy division head with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines.
He earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Agriculture Sciences in Bangalore, India, and his master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad, India. His doctorate in molecular and physiological dissection of heat tolerance during anthesis in rice is from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.
Recent honors include the Indian Society of Plant Physiology’s Prof. G.V. Joshi Memorial Award (2024), Kansas State Gamma Sigma Delta Outstanding Research Award (2021); International Fellow of the Indian Society of Plant Physiology (2021); and the Association for Agricultural Scientists of Indian Origin’s Outstanding Young Agricultural Scientist Award (2015).
Jagadish succeeds the J.A. Love Endowed Chair in Sustainable Agriculture, Glen Ritchie, who led the department for five years and will depart to head the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University in July.
“The Department of Plant & Soil Science, Davis College, and Texas Tech University have blessed my life and will always feel like home to me,” Ritchie said in a recent statement. “Working with colleagues as both a researcher and as department chair has been rewarding, and I cannot say enough about our faculty, staff, and supporters’ professionalism, desire for success, and care for our students.”
CONTACT: Clint Krehbiel, Dean, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or Clint.Krehbiel@ttu.edu
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