Krishna Jagadish, Interim Chair and Thornton Distinguished Chair in Texas Tech’s Department of Plant & Soil Science, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Texas Tech Parents Association’s Barnie E. Rushing Jr. Distinguished Research Award in STEM, an honor that recognizes faculty members whose scholarship has achieved national distinction.
'Dr. Jagadish is a major asset to Davis College and Texas Tech University. His cutting-edge research in water security and cropping systems leads the nation in innovative approaches to the critical problem of water conservation and producer profitability.'
The award will be presented April 23 at the Parents Association’s Annual Faculty, Staff & Student Awards Ceremony at the International Cultural Center, a gathering that celebrates academic excellence across the university community.
“It is my absolute honor to be the recipient of the prestigious Barnie E. Rushing Jr. Faculty Distinguished Research Award,” Jagadish said. “A solid vision for achieving PRIME is a driving force for the research progress we are able to achieve and I am thankful to my colleagues and the Davis College leadership for creating an enabling environment.”
The Barnie E. Rushing Jr. Distinguished Research Award, according to Texas Tech’s Office of Research & Innovation, recognizes excellence in research, scholarship and creative activity. Nominees are evaluated on the quality and impact of their publications, the strength of external funding and the assessments of peers in their field. Recipients are expected to demonstrate research contributions of high quality that have earned national recognition.
“Dr. Jagadish is a major asset to Davis College and Texas Tech University,” said Darren Hudson, associate dean for strategic initiatives and assessment in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources and the Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness. “His cutting-edge research in water security and cropping systems leads the nation in innovative approaches to the critical problem of water conservation and producer profitability.”
Jagadish leads a far-reaching research portfolio that bridges laboratory science and field application. He directs the Texas Coalition for Sustainable Integrated Systems Research Program and the Davis College Water Center, and coordinates the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation, initiatives that collectively advance sustainable water use and crop productivity across Texas’ diverse agricultural regions.
His scholarly output includes roughly 190 peer-reviewed manuscripts, reflecting a sustained focus on crop stress physiology and climate resilience. As principal investigator, he has secured nearly $22 million in competitive research funding from federal agencies and industry partners. Colleagues cite not only the scale of his funding and publications but also his commitment to teaching, outreach and engagement with producers as hallmarks of his career.
Before joining the Davis College faculty in 2022, Jagadish served as a professor of agronomy at Kansas State University. He earned his doctorate from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, where his research examined the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying heat tolerance during anthesis in rice m – work that laid the foundation for his continued focus on crop performance under environmental stress.
The Barnie E. Rushing Jr. Distinguished Research Award has, in recent years, recognized several Davis College faculty members, including Dale Woerner (Animal & Food Sciences) in 2025; Stephen Devadoss (Agricultural & Applied Economics) in 2024; Lam-Son Phan Tran (Plant & Soil Science) in 2023; Kristin Hales (Animal & Food Sciences) in 2022; Chance Brooks (Animal & Food Sciences) in 2019; Jyotsna Sharma (Plant & Soil Science) in 2017; and Darren Hudson (Agricultural & Applied Economics) in 2013.
CONTACT: Krishna Jagadish, Interim Chair and Professor, Department of Plant & Soil Science, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-7953 or kjagadish.sv@ttu.edu
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