November 11, 2024
Emmanuel Uzoma Nwachukwu named Encompass Fellow
Emmanuel Uzoma Nwachukwu, a master’s student in the department of horticulture and natural resources, has been selected as an Encompass Fellow by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America and sponsored by Bayer Crop Science.
This prestigious award and fellowship recognize outstanding graduate students early in their careers who demonstrate exceptional leadership, research excellence, and a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in agricultural science. Nwachukwu’s nomination stood out from a pool of nearly 100 applicants.
Nwachukwu's research focuses on turfgrass sod production of cool-season turfgrass species, germination and establishment differences, and the ecological dynamics of turfgrass species in seed mixtures. He is supervised and mentored by Ross Charles Braun, assistant professor of turfgrass and landscape management. Nwachukwu is passionate about agriculture sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Beyond working in the lab and greenhouse and field research, he loves dedicating his time in volunteering opportunities and advocating for minorities and underrepresented class. He has held several leadership positions in his home country, which ranges from clerk of student union government, president National Association of Agriculture Students and the pioneer of the “Plant A Tree initiative” at his alma mater. Nwachukwu is also a member of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences, where they lend their voices advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion which fosters collaborations and relationships across the United States. He has several academic mentees and currently serving as a Library Ambassador of K-State. Nwachukwu has also engaged in several graduate council and research forum competitions at K-STATE, including Three-Minute Thesis, Research and the State, and K-State Graduate Research, Arts, and Discovery forum.
As an Encompass Fellow, Nwachukwu will attend and present four of his research experiments at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA annual meeting Nov. 10-13, helping undergraduates transitioning into graduate school and will participate in a one-year mentorship and professional development program sponsored by Bayer Crop Science.