PK Nair, Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida, USA, is a pioneering researcher and educator and a world leader in agroforestry.

Dr. Nair was educated in India (BSc, MSc, and PhD), England (post-doctoral), and Germany (Dr. sc. agr.). His path-breaking research on multistrory cropping in his native southern India during the 1970s led to his involvement as one of the founders of ICRAF (World Agroforestry Centre), in Kenya. At ICRAF where he worked for nearly 10 years, he played a key role in developing the discipline of agroforestry. He moved to the University of Florida (UF) as Professor of Agroforestry in 1987, where he continues to train graduate students (25 PhDs so far) and visiting scientists from around the world, and provide global leadership in agroforestry research and education. As a world leader in the subject, his services are sought the world over.

Professor Nair is the author/editor of 15 books, 40 book chapters, and nearly 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, all related to agroforestry. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Agroforestry Systems journal for 11 years until 2005. In 2004, he started the book series “Advances in Agroforestry” (Springer), of which he is the editor. He showed exemplary leadership in organizing the World Congresses in Agroforestry: the first in Orlando, Florida, 2004; and the second in Nairobi, Kenya, 2009.

PK Nair has received numerous awards and recognitions. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Societies of Agronomy, Crop Science, and Soil Science; he has received IUFRO (International Forestry Research) Scientific Award; multiple awards from the Society of American Foresters; four honorary Doctor of Science degrees (Kyoto, Japan; Kumasi, Ghana; Guelph, Canada; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain); the Hind Rattan (Jewel of India) and the Mahatm Gandhi Gold Medal Awards of India; and the Humboldt Prize of Germany.