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Title

Professor

Office Building

Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Lab

Office

252C

Mailing Address

McFadden Biostress Laboratory 252C
Biology & Microbiology-Box 2140D
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Education

• Ph.D. in biology | Kansas State University
• HBX-CORE | Harvard Business School, Harvard University
• M.S. in biology | University of Northern Iowa
• B.S. in biology/botany | Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Academic Interests

• Systematics
• Bioinformatics
• Comparative genomics
• Plant population genetics

Founding Faculty Member of Institute for STEM Education Enhancement (ISEE@SDSTATE)
Founding Faculty Adviser of Bio-Micro Graduate Student Association (BMGSA)
Founding Faculty Advisor of SDSU Graduate Student Council (GSC)

Academic Responsibilities

• General Biology-Honors (BIOL 151/L; Enrollment capped at 70)
• General Botany (BOT 201/201L: Spring, High enrollment course)
• Biology Survey II (BIOL 103/103L; Spring, until 2012)
• Evolution (BIOL 373; Fall, until 2015)
• 7-12 Science Methods (SEED 413; Fall)
• Molecular Plant Physiology (BIOS/PS 664; Spring, until 2018)

Committees and Professional Memberships

Committees:

Department of Biology and Microbiology

• Curriculum Committee (2012-2016, 2021-2022)
• Executive Committee (2022-current)
• Tenure and Promotion Committee (Chair, 2021-2022)
• Graduate Thesis and Dissertation Advisory Committees
• Faculty Search Committees

College Level

• Internal Advisory Board- College of Natural Sciences (2020-2022)
• Academic Appeal Committee for Teachers Certification Program (Dept of Teaching, Learning and Leadership; 2014-current)
• Teacher Education Faculty (TEF; 2009-current)
• Honors College Faculty Advisory Committee (2014-2020)
• College of Education and Human Sciences -Admission and Scholastic Standards Committee (2014-Current)

University Level

• Faculty Senate President (2021-2022)
• Faculty Senate Vice President (2020-2021)
• Graduate Student Council Advisor (2021-current)
• F. O. Butler Foundation Trustee (2019-2022)
• Higher Learning Commission-NCA Accreditation Steering Committee (2018-19)
• Center for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) Advisory Council (2016-2020)
• Administration Search Committee- member (2)
• University Committees
  • Tenure and Promotion Committee (2022-current)
  • Committee on Committees (Chair, 2020-2021)
  • Academic Affairs (2012-2013)
  • Academic Appeals (2018-2020)
  • Faculty Budget (2021-2022)
  • Intercollegiate Athletics Board (2018-2019)
  • International Affairs (Chair, 2016-2018; member 2015-2016)

South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Board of Regents (System Academic Affairs)

• Natural Science Discipline Council (Chair, 2018-2022)
• Biology Discipline Council (Ad-hoc; Fall 2013)
• State Representative, WICHE - Interstate Passport Initiative (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education - Natural Sciences Group, 2015-2022)

South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã

• Department of Education- Science Advisory Council (2017-2019)

Botanical Society of America

• Committee on Committees (Board member, 2023-current)
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-Impact à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã sub-committee (Chair, 2021-2022)

Professional Memberships:

• Botanical Society of America-Teaching Section Chair (Elected; 2015-2018)
• Botanical Society of America- Vice Chair and Program Director (2012-2015)
• American Society of Plant Biologists-member
• Sigma Xi Chapter President (2013-2014)
• South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Honor Society of Agriculture President (2015-2016)
• Ecological Society of America
• Genetics Society of America

à£à£Ö±²¥Ðãs and Honors

• SDSU Inaugural Global Achievement à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã (Office of International Affairs, 2022)
• FO Butler Excellence in Teaching (2021)
• Samuel Noel Postlethwait à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã for Outstanding Service to Teaching Section of the Botanical Society of America   (2018)
• Honor Society of Agriculture (Gamma Sigma Delta) Past President Recognition (2017)
• Honor Society of Agriculture Distinguished Service à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã (2017)
• Edward Patrick Hogan à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã For Teaching Excellence (2016)
• Sigma Xi Past President Recognition (2015)
• National Academies Education Fellow in the Life Sciences (2015 National Academies Northstar Summer Institute on Undergraduate Education in Biology)
• Gamma Sigma Delta Teaching à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã (South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Honor Society of Agriculture; 2014)
• Tom Cheesbrough Excellence in Teaching à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã (Department of Biology and Microbiology, SDSU; 2014)
• Lee Olson Travel à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã (Department of Biology and Biology, SDSU; 2014)
• 2014 Outstanding Faculty à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã nominee (Biology and Microbiology Graduate Student Association)
• 2014 CE Bessey Teaching à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã nominee (Botanical Society of America)

Grants

• USDA NIFA 7Gen-FnA-iLEARN (Nepal et al. 2021-2025)
• NSF RCN-UBE: The Wokini Undergraduate Biology Education Network (Heiberger and Nepal; 2021-2022)
• NSF Synthetic Biology (Butzin, Nepal, Fernandez; 2019-2024)
• NSF REMAST Phase-III (Vestal, Nepal, Browning, Miller and White; 2020-2025)
• USDA-NIFA; FAST-REEU (Nepal, Bott-Knutson, Janaswamy, Mathew and White; 2018-2022)
• South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Soybean Research and Promotional Council (with F. Mathew, 2017-2018)
• USDA-NIFA; iLEARN (Nepal, White, Browning and Miller; 2016-2019)
• USDA-NIFA; AES Hatch Fund (Nepal; 2013-2018)
• DOE/SDBOR; Science and Technology Resources for Engagement Activity Modules (STREAM) (Browning, Nepal and Miller; 2015/2016)
• NSF-REMAST Robert Noyce Scholarship Program –Phase II (Vestal, Nepal, Browning, Miller and Bertolini; 2014-2016)
• South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Soybean Research and Promotional Council (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
• Department of Education - South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Board of Reagents (SETI^2, SETI^2-PhaseII) (Browning, Nepal and Miller; NCLB, Title II Grant) 2012/13 and 2013/2014
• NSF-REMAST Robert Noyce Scholarship Program (Vestal, Nepal, Browning, Emo and Miller; 2007-2012)
• SDSU Academic and Scholarly Excellence Initiative (Miller, Nepal, Browning, Vestal and Emo; 2010-2011)
• USDA Forest Service (2010-2012)
• SDSU Research Scholarship Fund 2010 (2009-2010)

Areas of Research

• Plant Systematics
• Molecular Phylogenetics
• Comparative Genomics
• Advancement of knowledge (Plant Evolution)
• Plant species identification and management (Biodiversity and Conservation)
• Stress responsive gene identification and characterization (Crop Improvement)