Kerala shines brightly on the global stage as two distinguished scientists, Dr. Veda Krishnan and Dr. Anu Susan Sam, have been awarded the esteemed 'Early Career Young Scientist' honour by the prestigious Global Young Academy, headquartered in Germany. This commendable achievement is further amplified by the fact that out of only 45 scientists representing 30 countries on the list, two hail from Kerala.
The Global Young Academy, operating under Germany’s National Academy of Sciences, focuses on fostering connections among young scientists worldwide. Facilitating networking opportunities among the brightest minds across different nations is paramount for driving progress and innovation in academia.
Veda and Anu are set to be inducted into the esteemed 'Early Career Young Scientist' fraternity during an event scheduled to take place in Washington, DC, the United States.
Dr Veda Krishnan:
A senior scientist at IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute), New Delhi under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Dr Veda Krishnan joined the Agricultural Research Service with first rank in 2011.
Veda has published 75 papers, earned a patent and has two industrial products to her credit. She is currently the secretary of Indian National Young Academy of Sciences and Team Leader at Food Metrics Lab.
Having completed her BSc in Botany and Biotechnology from Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, Veda secured first rank in MSc Biotechnology from Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). She pursued further studies as an exchange student at Singapore Nanyang University and later earned her PhD in Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappally.
Veda was selected for the prestigious Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the US for the year 2021, conducting research at the Whistler Centre for Carbohydrate Research under Purdue University.
Veda is the daughter of Krishnan, a retired government official residing in Thrikkoor, Thrissur, and Bhavani Menon, a teacher. Her husband, Sanjeev Raghu, serves as the marketing head of a private firm, and the couple is blessed with a son, Sarthak, a Class 3 student.
Dr Anu Susan Sam:
Dr Anu Susan Sam is currently assistant professor in the Agricultural Economics Department at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Kumarakom under Kerala Agricultural University.
Anu has a BSc in Agriculture from College of Agriculture, Thrissur; a master’s in Agricultural Economics from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and an MPhil in Business Studies from M G University. She subsequently secured a Master’s in Rural Development with an Erasmus Mundus scholarship from Ghent University in Belgium and a PhD from Humboldt University, Germany with a scholarship from DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).
Anu has previously served as a research scholar at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Research in Germany and as a Returning Expert at the German Corporation for International Research.
Anu’s parents V K Samuel and Rachel reside at Mulavoor in Muvattupuzha. She is married to Girish Nair, the India-Middle East sales head of a private firm, and they have a daughter Evelyn, a class 8 student.