Directory

Biography

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Professor Ragupathy Kannan joined the biology faculty at UAFS 30 years ago, shortly after he finished his doctorate at the University of Arkansas. Before that he received two master's degrees, the first from the University of Madras and the second from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. During his stellar career at UAFS, he has received three overseas Fulbright Scholar awards (including a Fulbright Specialist award) for teaching and research (India 2007 and 2019, Sri Lanka 2020). He has traveled widely and published extensively on his research on tropical birds and climate change. His writings have appeared in prestigious periodicals like Science and National Geographic. Many of his publications are coauthored by his students, some of whom have followed in his footsteps for fruitful careers in science and teaching.  He is the only faculty member at UAFS who has received the Research Award twice, first in 2011 and again in 2022.  He is very active in the birdwatchers' community in Arkansas and has led more than 15 overseas fundraising nature tours to Central and South America for the Arkansas Audubon Society Trust, for which he serves as chair. At UAFS he has taught popular study abroad courses to Belize and Trinidad for more than 15 years.