By:
Chuck Woods (352) 392-1773 x 281Source(s):
Ramesh Reddy krr@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-1803, ext. 317
Nick Comerford nbc@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-1951
David Sylvia dmsa@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-9404
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three professors in the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences were honored at the recent national meetings of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and American Society of Agronomy (ASA) in Charlotte, N.C.
Ramesh Reddy, graduate research professor and chair of UF’s soil and water science department, received SSSA’s 2001 Soil Science Applied Research Award and Nick Comerford, professor in the department, was elected a Fellow of the society. David Sylvia, professor of soil microbiology, was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA).
Reddy’s research interests are in wetlands and aquatic systems, with emphasis on the integration of physical, chemical and biological processes related to elemental cycling and water quality. His scientific contributions are published in more than 250 refereed journal articles. He has served as associate editor of Journal of Environmental Quality and on the editorial boards of numerous other journals.
A Fellow of SSSA and ASA, Reddy earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at A.P. Agricultural University in India and his doctoral degree from Louisiana State University. He joined the UF faculty in 1979.
Comerford’s research focus is soil-root interactions in forest stands, with emphases on nutrient uptake modeling, soil phosphorus chemistry, and tree root growth, function and distribution. He served as chair of the SSSA forest soils division, as SSSA representative to the North American Forest Soil Conference, and as a member of the soil science terminology committee. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, his master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and his doctorate from the State University of New York, Syracuse. He joined the UF faculty in 1980.
Sylvia conducts research on the microbial ecology of the rhizosphere with an emphasis on mycorrhizal fungi. As senior editor, he provided direction for a multi-authored textbook being used at many universities. He served as an associate editor of the Soil Science Society of America Journal, and he currently is chair of the SSSA soil biology and biochemistry division. Sylvia, who is a Fellow of SSSA, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts and his doctoral degree from Cornell University. He joined the UF in 1981.
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