Continuing the legacy of international activity

Mitch Tuinstra, Wickersham Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Research and professor of plant breeding and genetics in the Department of Agronomy, received the 2023 Lowell S. Hardin Award for Excellence in International Agriculture.

Tuinstra’s research seeks to identify genes and genetic resources that contribute to improved crop performance in stressful environments. Farmers have long faced drought and heat waves, but climate change may increasingly hamper agricultural productivity in the U.S. and around the world. Tuinstra and his collaborators are responding with efforts to develop climate-resilient cultivars of maize and sorghum that will help agriculture adapt to warmer and drier climates.

Tuinstra has successfully initiated collaborations with scientists and breeders to improve crop performance in locations throughout North America, Africa and Asia. He also mentors undergraduate and graduate students on their own international career paths.

The award, established in 2020 by International Programs in Agriculture, honors Hardin’s legacy of contributions to international agriculture and many years supporting international activities in the college.