Claire Grootboom | Plant Conservation Biology | Young Scientist Award

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Ms. Claire Grootboom | Plant Conservation Biology | Young Scientist Award

University of the Western Cape/Agricultural Research Council | South Africa

Claire Grootboom is a PhD candidate at the University of the Western Cape and serves as a Research Technician at the Agricultural Research Council. She holds a strong academic background in biological sciences, supporting her expertise in conservation biology and ecological research. She has gained experience in teaching, tutoring, and supervising students, contributing to academic development at undergraduate and honours levels. Her research focuses on soil biodiversity, particularly the ecological role of soil mites and their response to grazing systems in South Africa. She has published peer-reviewed research and continues to advance knowledge in ecosystem sustainability and environmental conservation.

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Zemenu Awoke | Soil Fertility Management | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Zemenu Awoke | Soil Fertility Management | Best Researcher Award

Injibara University | Ethiopia

Dr. Zemenu Awoke Andualem is an Ethiopian environmental scientist, academic, and researcher specializing in natural resource and environmental management. He holds a PhD in Natural Resource and Environmental Management and multiple MSc degrees in sustainable natural resource management, GIS and remote sensing, and environment and climate change. He has extensive experience as a university lecturer, researcher, and academic administrator, with a strong background in teaching, watershed management, land use and land cover analysis, and environmental modeling. His research focuses on ecosystem services, soil erosion, watershed interventions, resettlement impacts, and climate–environment interactions. Through research, teaching, and applied environmental studies, he contributes to sustainable resource management and evidence-based environmental planning.

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Viktor Husak | Plant Stress Physiology | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Viktor Husak | Plant Stress Physiology | Research Excellence Award

Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University | Ukraine

Viktor V. Husak is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, Ukraine. He earned his PhD in Biochemistry in 2009 and has over fifteen years of academic and research experience spanning teaching, supervision, and funded scientific projects. His research focuses on plant biotechnology, in vitro micropropagation, oxidative stress, environmental toxicology, nanoparticle applications, and Open Science practices. He has led and contributed to nationally and internationally funded projects and received prestigious support from DAAD and Ukrainian research agencies. Through interdisciplinary research, education, and open data initiatives, he actively contributes to sustainable biotechnology, biodiversity conservation, and reproducible science.

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Deborah Onyancha | Sustainable Agriculture | Research Excellence Award

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Ms. Deborah Onyancha | Sustainable Agriculture | Research Excellence Award

University of Nairobi | Kenya

Deborah M. Onyancha is a Kenyan agroecosystems researcher and PhD candidate in Management of Agroecosystems and Environment at the University of Nairobi. She holds an MSc in Land and Water Management and a BSc in Agroecosystems Management. Her professional experience spans research and consultancy roles with IITA, CGIAR, ILRI, KEFRI, and environmental agencies, focusing on sustainable agricultural water management and agroecology. Her research interests include resilient agroecosystems, soil-water-biodiversity interactions, pollution mitigation, and climate adaptation in smallholder farming systems. She has received multiple fellowships and professional training awards and actively contributes to science-policy dialogue for sustainable and climate-resilient food systems.

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Ruben Budău | Fungal Ecology | Research Excellence Award

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Mr. Ruben Budău | Fungal Ecology | Research Excellence Award

University of Oradea | Romania

Assoc. Prof. Ruben Budau is an academic at the University of Oradea with expertise in forestry, horticulture, and agroforestry systems. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Forestry and Horticulture and has extensive experience in teaching, project leadership, and interdisciplinary research collaboration. His research interests include silviculture, woody biomass, agroforestry, sustainable horticulture, and mycology, with a particular focus on the genus Leccinum. He is the author of a seminal Q1 Journal of Fungi study and a reference volume on Robinia pseudoacacia cultivation in Romania. Through applied research and academic leadership, he contributes to sustainable land-use and biomass-based environmental solutions.

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Arman Utepov | Agroecology | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Arman Utepov | Agroecology | Research Excellence Award

Center for Ecosystem solutions EcoMind PF | Kazakhstan

Dr. Arman Utepov is a public administration scholar and environmental governance expert specializing in integrated water resources management and ecosystem-based decision-making. He holds advanced degrees in hydro-ecology, law, public administration, and a PhD focused on ecosystem approaches in national governance. His professional experience spans academia, international consulting, and policy development with organizations such as UNDP, FAO, USAID, and GIZ. His research interests include environmental flow assessment, nature-based solutions, land and water governance, climate adaptation, and ecosystem services valuation. Through leadership in scientific projects and policy reforms, he contributes to sustainable water and land management in Central Asia.

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Implementation of the “Polluter Pays” Principle in Kazakhstan’s State Environmental Regulation

Public Administration and Civil Service, December 2024 · Journal Article


Progress in Digital Technologies for Livestock Exterior and Fatness

Ġylym ža̋ne bìlìm, December 2024 · Journal Article

Hammad Ahmad Jan | Medicinal Plants | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Hammad Ahmad Jan | Medicinal Plants | Research Excellence Award

University of Buner | Pakistan

Dr. Hammad Ahmad Jan is a Lecturer in Botany at the University of Buner, Pakistan, with over 13 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic administration. He holds a Ph.D. in Botany along with advanced degrees in biological sciences and education. His research focuses on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, biodiesel synthesis from non-edible oils, phytochemistry, plant systematics, and ecology. Dr. Jan has authored numerous research papers and book chapters and serves on international journal editorial boards. Recognized for his contributions to plant sciences and indigenous knowledge documentation, he actively mentors undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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Jing Guo | Plant Ecology | Excellence in Plant Ecology

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Dr. Jing Guo | Plant Ecology | Excellence in Plant Ecology

Zhejiang A&F University | China

Dr. Jing Guo is a lecturer at the College of Landscape Architecture, Zhejiang A&F University, specializing in community ecology, biodiversity conservation, and plant–microbe interactions. She earned her Ph.D. in Ecology from Northeast Normal University in 2019, completing part of her doctoral research at Pennsylvania State University as a Joint Ph.D. Candidate, after receiving her bachelor’s degree from the same institution. Prior to her current appointment, she conducted postdoctoral research at Zhejiang University, where she investigated plant–soil–microbe feedbacks and forest ecosystem processes. Dr. Guo has contributed to several major national and provincial research programs, including the National Key R&D Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Young Scientists Fund), and the Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Exploration Program, serving both as principal investigator and collaborator. She has published extensively in high-impact journals such as Communications Biology, Plants, Forests, Plant and Soil, and Ecological Engineering, contributing to an estimated. With growing recognition for her research in fragmented forest ecosystems and microbial ecology, Dr. Guo continues to advance ecological theory and applied conservation, aiming to support sustainable forest management and biodiversity resilience.

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Featured Publications

Guo, J., Chu, L., Ye, X., King, W. L., Shao, J., Wang, Z., Liu, J., Chen, C., & Yu, M. (2025). Low soil phosphorus and high symbiotic fungal richness inhibits plant aboveground biomass in fragmented forests in China. Communications Biology.

Liu, J., Liu, W., Wu, J., Wei, B., Guo, J., Zhong, L., & Yu, M. (2023). Responses of plant species diversity and biomass to forest management practices after pine wilt disease. Forests,.

Guo, J., Wei, B., Liu, J., Eissenstat, D. M., Yu, S., Gong, X., Wu, J., He, X., & Yu, M. (2023). Linkages between plant community composition and soil microbial diversity in Masson pine forests. Plants.

Guo, J., Gong, X., Yu, S., Wei, B., Chu, L., Liu, J., He, X., & Yu, M. (2023). Response of soil microbial diversity to forest management practices after pine wilt disease infection. Forests.

Yates, C. F., Guo, J., Bell, T. H., Fleishman, S. M., Bock, H. W., Trexler, R. V., Eissenstat, D. M., & Centinari, M. (2021). Tree-induced alterations to soil properties and rhizoplane-associated bacteria following 23 years in a common garden. Plant and Soil

Harsimran Kaur | Agriculture Entomology | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Harsimran Kaur | Agriculture Entomology | Best Researcher Award

KKIASR, Ganpat University | India

Dr Harsimran Kaur completed her M.Sc. (Entomology) from Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, and earned her Ph.D. in Entomology from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, where she graduated among the top of her department. With more than one and a half years of academic experience as an Assistant Professor of Entomology, she has demonstrated strong teaching and research capabilities. Her research interests focus on insect biodiversity in crop agro-ecosystems, host-plant resistance mechanisms—particularly antibiosis and antixenosis—against the whitefly Bemisia tabaci in upland cotton, development of eco-friendly pheromone traps using plant-based attractants for fruit-fly management, and the role of insect diversity in sustainable pest management and beekeeping in semi-arid regions of Gujarat. She has also served as NAAC Accreditation Coordinator, mentored undergraduate dissertations, and contributed to postgraduate curriculum development. Recognized for her academic excellence through the Young Entomologist Award (2023) and the Mrs Jaswant Kaur Bindra Fellowship (2020-2023), Dr Kaur has published several peer-reviewed papers and maintains an active research profile with an h-index of 1, total citations of 2, and 3 indexed publications, reflecting her growing impact in the field of agricultural entomology and sustainable crop protection.

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Featured Publication

Kaur, H., Kumar, V., Pathak, D., & Sangha, M. K. (2025). Antixenosis: Mechanism of resistance to whitefly in upland cotton introgression lines. Arthropod–Plant Interactions.

Dharmalingam Kirubakaran | Plant Biochemistry | Plant Biodiversity Conservation Award

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Assist. Prof. Dr. Dharmalingam Kirubakaran | Plant Biochemistry | Plant Biodiversity Conservation Award

Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, 602105, Tamil Nadu | India

Dr. D. Kirubakaran is Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, part of Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS) (Chennai, India). He earned his B.Sc., M.Sc., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Botany at Periyar University (Tamil Nadu), completing his doctoral thesis on the green synthesis of nanoparticles from Strobilanthes cordifolia and their biomedical applications. His research spans phytochemistry, nanotechnology (including green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles, nanocomposites, and their characterization by UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM/TEM, DLS, zeta potential), in-vitro bioassays (antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, anticholinergic) and environmental/ toxicological studies (medicinal plant cultivation, biodiversity conservation, larval bioassays, photocatalytic dye degradation). He has been awarded the University Research Fellowship (URF) by Periyar University for 2022-24.  He has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals on topics such as biomedical nanomaterials, cancer biology, environmental nanotoxicology and biomedical sensors. In conclusion, Dr Kirubakaran merges strong foundational expertise in plant science with cutting-edge nanotechnology and biomedical applications, positioning him at the intersection of botany, materials science and pharmacology in the emerging field of translational nanobiotechnology.

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Featured Publications

Kirubakaran, D., Wahid, J. B. A., Karmegam, N., Jeevika, R., Sellapillai, L., Rajkumar, M., & Senthilkumar, K. J. (2025). A comprehensive review on the green synthesis of nanoparticles: Advancements in biomedical and environmental applications. Biomedical Materials & Devices.

Manimegalai, P., Selvam, K., Loganathan, S., Kirubakaran, D., Shivakumar, M. S., & Rajkumar, M. (2024). Green synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using aqueous leaf extract of Hardwickia binata: Their characterizations and biological applications. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery.

Kirubakaran, D., Selvam, K., Prakash, P., Shivakumar, M. S., & Rajkumar, M. (2023). In-vitro antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticholinergic activity of iron/copper nanoparticles synthesized using Strobilanthes cordifolia leaf extract. OpenNano.

Rajkumar, M., Presley, S. D., Govindaraj, P., Kirubakaran, D., Farahim, F., Ali, T., Shkir, M., & Latha, S. (2025). Synthesis of chitosan/PVA/copper oxide nanocomposite using Anacardium occidentale extract and evaluating its antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities. Scientific Reports.

Kirubakaran, D., Bupesh, G., Wahid, J. B. A., Murugeswaran, R., Ramalingam, J., Arokiyaraj, S., Sivasakthi, V., & Panigrahi, J. (2025). Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Acmella caulirhiza leaf extract: Characterization and assessment of antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hemolytic properties. Biomedical Materials & Devices,