Surya Acharya
Born and raised in India, Dr. Acharya earned a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Agriculture at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology and went on to complete PhD in Crop Science at the Universities of Saskatchewan in 1979. He began his career as a researcher at the Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville before joining Agriculture and Agrifood Canada Research Centre (AAFC) in Lethbridge, AB where he held a Research Scientist (Forage Breeder) position for 33 years. During his career with AAFC, he was an Adjunct Professor at four Canadian campuses including U of L and two Chinese campuses.
As an internationally renowned researcher, Dr. Acharya studied and developed new genetic material and agronomic practices of forage legumes and grasses for cattle industry. For his innovative work he has received many local, national and international awards including the Plant Breeder of the Year, Research and Innovation Award from Beef Cattle Industry and the Key to the City of Lethbridge.
Married to his wife Manju for 50 years, they have two daughters one living in Calgary with two grand daughters and the other in Abu Dhabi (UAE) with two grand sons.