Horticulture & Landscape Architecture
Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi appointed head of Purdue Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, a botany and plant pathology professor, has been named head of Purdue University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture by Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of the College of Agriculture.
Iyer-Pascuzzi joined Purdue’s faculty 13 years ago after earning an undergraduate degree in molecular environmental biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a doctorate in plant genetics from Cornell University. She also completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in plant biology at Duke University.
“Dr. Iyer-Pascuzzi has an amazing career as a highly respected researcher and professor,” Engel said. “I know she will inspire faculty, staff and students with her vision, determination and leadership.”
Iyer-Pascuzzi has received numerous awards for research and teaching, including the Foundation for Food and Agriculture New Innovator Award, Faculty Scholar, and the Purdue College of Agriculture Outstanding Graduate Mentor and Teaching Award.
Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi has been named head of Purdue University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, effective July 1, 2026. (Purdue University photo) Since coming to Purdue, Iyer-Pascuzzi has developed an internationally recognized research program focused on molecular plant pathology in tomato plants. Her laboratory team focuses on understanding how plants and microbes communicate with each other over multiple scales and in different environments — from cells to whole organs and from Earth to space.
Iyer-Pascuzzi describes her administrative philosophy as being rooted in service over authority, listening and communication over dictating, and empowerment through trust and delegation.
“I am committed to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration that enables our faculty, staff and students to translate discovery into impact, deliver transformative teaching and push disciplinary boundaries,” she said. “I am honored to lead a department that embodies the land grant mission and am energized by the opportunity to support our faculty, staff and students deliver solutions with lasting impact at the state, national and global levels.”
About Purdue Agriculture
Purdue University’s College of Agriculture is one of the world’s leading colleges of agricultural, food, life and natural resource sciences. The college is committed to preparing students to make a difference in whatever careers they pursue; stretching the frontiers of science to discover solutions to some of our most pressing global, regional and local challenges; and, through Purdue Extension and other engagement programs, educating the people of Indiana, the nation and the world to improve their lives and livelihoods. To learn more about Purdue Agriculture, visit this site.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
Media contact: Devyn Ashlea Raver, draver@purdue.edu
Sources: Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, asi2@purdue.edu
Agricultural Communications: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu, 765-494-8415
