Manoj Shukla has been named a Soil Science Society of America Fellow (Courtesy photo)New Mexico State University environment soil physics professor Manoj Shukla has been nominated and elected as a 2020 Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America.

This designation recognizes Shukla’s contributions and achievement in research of soil, water and plant processes.

“I am honored to receive this designation that is the highest recognition bestowed by the society,” said Shukla, who also serves at the director of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences global initiatives programs – ACES Global and Aggies Go Global.

He will be recognized during the Soil Science Society of America Hall of Fame program during its annual meeting Nov. 9-12 in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Recognition that professional organizations at the national and international level give to our faculty is extremely important for NMSU to achieve the Research-1 level we aspire to reach,” said College of ACES Dean Rolando Flores. “Faculty like Dr. Shukla, who are highly dedicated to their field and contribute to the ACES mission, make the difference for NMSU and New Mexico.”

“We are pleased to learn that Dr. Shukla is receiving this award,” said Rolston St. Hilaire, NMSU Plant & Environmental Sciences department head. “His research in beneficial reuse of brackish and oil field produced water for agriculture and water use efficiency of chile plants are both critical issues for sustainability of New Mexico’s two key industries.”

As the recipient of the Nakayama Research Excellence Professorship for the past six years, Shukla provides research leadership, including as chair of two Western multi-state research projects and is the College of ACES representative on the NMSU University Research Council.

His current research focus is on assessing and modeling the impact of abiotic stresses caused by brackish groundwater irrigation on soil, plants and microbial communities, as well as modeling water, nitrate and energy transport through soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.

Internationally recognized for his research related to soil, water and plant processes, Shukla has been invited to speak at meetings and conferences in the United States, Australia, China, India, Israel and Mexico.

He has also served on several international expert panels, including China Agricultural University – engineering program review, United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, and International Arid Lands Consortium.

Shukla has served as visiting professor at China’s Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University.

He serves as associate editor of the Soil Science Society of America Journal, as well as an executive board member for the Vadose Zone Journal, and is its book review editor.

He chairs the Agronomy, Crop and Soil – Tri Society’s presentation contest committee, as well as being a member of the American Geophysical Union’s unsaturated zone technical committee.

The recipient of the Patricia Christmore Faculty Teaching Award and the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture award is also active on NMSU campus and college committees, including a steering committee member of advancing leadership program of NMSU.

Prior to arriving at NMSU in 2005, Shukla was a research faculty member at Ohio State University, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and University of Agriculture Science in Vienna, Austria.