Sandeep Kumar, an Indian American soil scientist and former national program leader with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has assumed leadership of Texas Tech University’s Department of Plant and Soil Science.
Kumar transitions into university administration following his work at the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), where he served as a national program leader in the Institute of Bioenergy, Climate and Environment.
In that role, he managed federal research funding designated for improving soil health, lowering agricultural emissions, and enhancing farming sustainability.
Born in India, Kumar completed his foundational higher education in his home country, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture and soil science from Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University.
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He later moved to the United States for advanced studies, obtaining a doctorate in soils along with a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Missouri.
Before joining the USDA in 2021, Kumar spent nearly a decade on the faculty at South Dakota State University, where he directed research initiatives on soil management and carbon dynamics while mentoring graduate students. His earlier academic career included work as a research scientist and postdoctoral researcher at The Ohio State University.
His achievements have earned widespread professional recognition within the field. In 2025, Kumar was named a Fellow of both the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy. He is also the recipient of multiple USDA-NIFA Achievement Awards and South Dakota State University’s Gamma Sigma Delta Research Award.
His scientific work has focused on evaluating how conservation practices such as cover crops, no-till farming, crop diversification, and livestock integration impact soil health, water retention, and carbon storage. Additionally, he pioneered the use of advanced imaging techniques, including X-ray computed tomography, to analyze underground soil structures.
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At Texas Tech, Kumar steps into an academic department that enrolls roughly 330 undergraduate and graduate students and operates across more than 46,000 square feet of laboratory, classroom, and research facilities.
The unit oversees key programs including the Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute, and the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation.
College leaders noted that Kumar’s combination of federal administrative experience and academic research background made him a strong fit for the role.
“Dr. Kumar brings visionary leadership, strong federal research experience and a proven record of translating science into practical solutions for farmers,” said Clint Krehbiel, dean of the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
“I look forward to working with our outstanding faculty, staff, students, alumni and stakeholders to build on the department’s strong foundation, expand interdisciplinary research and innovation, and prepare the next generation of leaders,” Kumar said.