Dr. Davie Kadyampakeni, assistant professor of citrus water and nutrient management, is a recipient of the University of Florida Water Institute’s faculty fellow award. Kadyampakeni, who joined the UF/IFAS Soil and Water Science Department in September 2016, conducts his research at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Fla.
The honor recognizes his “outstanding contributions to interdisciplinary water research extension, and education programs as well as his strong support of UF Water Institute programs.”
“I am very grateful to the UF Water Institute for the recognition and for the support they have given to me over the past three years,” Kadyampakeni said.
In the simplest terms, he describes his work as improving environmental quality. Kadyampakeni points out that most of the citrus-producing regions of Florida are dominated by sandy soils. The 95-to-98 percent sand content of the soil makes water and nutrient management extremely difficult.
“I am dedicating my efforts now and in the future with my students, postdocs, and collaborators to quantify some of the water and nutrient matrices and modeling some scenarios for projecting future environmental changes and socio-economic implications,” Kadyampakeni said.
In working with the UF Water Institute, he has formed collaborations with researchers in the other UF/IFAS departments as well as faculty from the Levin College of Law and UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He secured funding from the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture with some of those colleagues. Applications for additional funding from other agencies are under review.
“The work Davie is doing has a direct impact on the citrus industry here in Florida and elsewhere,” said Dr. Matt Whiles, chair of the UF/IFAS Soil and Water Sciences Department. “This fellowship with the Water Institute highlights his expertise and will further elevate his research and Extension programs .”
Kadyampakeni’s fellowship term runs from 2019 to 2022. He is the fourth Soil and Water Sciences Department faculty member to receive the honor. The others are Dr. James Jawitz (2014-2017), Dr. Mark Clark (2015-2018), and Dr. Todd Osborne (2018-2021). UF Water Institute Faculty Fellows are recognized at an awards ceremony, featured in a UF-WI seminar, active in coordinating interdisciplinary proposals, and serve as ambassadors for the Water Institute, both within and outside UF.
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