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Clay Named South Dakota Corn Endowed Chair in Precision Agriculture

On 12 Feb. 2022, The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council awarded ASA President David Clay the South Dakota Corn Chair in Precision Agriculture position at an investiture ceremony in the new Raven Precision Agriculture Center. With more than 30 years dedicated to advancing knowledge related to precision agriculture and soil health at South Dakota State University, Clay has trained more than 2,000 undergraduate students and over 50 graduate students in addition to earning industry accolades throughout his impressive career.

Lobell Awarded the 2022 NAS Prize in Food & Agriculture Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is awarding ASA member David Lobell of Stanford University the 2022 NAS Prize in Food & Agriculture Sciences for his groundbreaking research on the effects of climate variability and change on global crop productivity. The prize is awarded annually to a mid-career scientist at a U.S. institution making an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production. The prize is presented with a medal and $100,000 cash award.

Lobell’s innovative use of remote sensing, statistics, ecosystem modeling, and agronomy addresses challenges at the nexus of agriculture, food security, and the environment. His work shows that investments in agriculture are one of the most cost-effective ways of limiting climate change.

Tiedje Elected Foreign Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences

SSSA and ASA Fellow James Tiedje was elected a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for his pioneering work in microbial ecology and understanding the impacts of anthropogenic activity on environmental micorbiomes as well as for promoting international collaboration in microbial ecology between China and the rest of the world. The honor is among the highest that China awards to citizens of foreign countries, with only 25 Foreign Members elected annually.

Throughout his illustrious career that spans five decades, Tiedje has revolutionized microbial community analyses. His work in genomics has paved the way for a greater understanding of the structure and function of these communities. Additionally, his research has helped uncover the role of microbes in the biodegradation of environmental pollutants.