Stanford University List 2023 of World’s Most Influential Scientists features JGU’s Dr. Maharaj Pandit

Professor (Dr.) Maharaj K. Pandit, Dean of the Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability (JSES), has been featured in the recently published Stanford University List 2023 of the Top 2% of the World’s Most Influential Scientists.

Published by Prof. John P.A. Loannidis and his colleagues at Stanford University, the list consists of researchers from different countries and research fields.

Professor (Dr.) Maharaj Pandit is also Director of Global Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, JGU. A former Radcliffe Fellow, Harvard University, and Chair/Dean, Research, Dean, Faculty of Science, Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental Studies and the Director of the Centre for Inter-Disciplinary Studies of Mountain & Hill Environment at the University of Delhi, he has received this outstanding recognition as a prolific scholar, an active researcher and an inspiring teacher. His research has been widely published in the world’s most reputed and influential journals including Nature and Science. Professor Pandit is one of those rare scholars who has been able to link his research work and academic interest in sciences to humanities and social sciences. For his outstanding contribution to the field, Prof. Pandit was elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA last year (2022).

Dean Pandit’s research focuses on Himalayan ecology, conservation and sustainability that follows a synthesis approach to understanding ecological patterns, and biotic extinctions driven by changes in land use due to large-scale development projects such as dams. He pioneered studies on genomic traits influencing plant invasiveness and rarity and is recognised as a global leader in the field. Dean Pandit is internationally recognised for his research on the impact of land use changes, large-scale development, and climate change on the Himalayan biodiversity, ecosystems and the region as a whole.

The Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, lauded the unique honour and said, “This is a distinguished recognition from one of the leading institutions in the world today. The recognition brings great honour to JGU and its notable and illustrious faculty members such as Dr. Pandit to be named in such an eminent list which recognises some of the most outstanding members of the science community. We are fortunate that Dr. Pandit leads our School of Environment and Sustainability and brings with him global acclaim and international expertise which directly benefits our institution and our students. I congratulate him on this singular recognition.”

Dean Pandit is Ngee Ann Kongsi Distinguished Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore, a position he also held in 2019. He was Visiting Senior Fellow in the University Scholars Programme and holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore. He is also an Adjunct Full Professor in the Department of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island. He earned his Ph.D. at University of Delhi and is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi and National Academy of Sciences of India. Dean Pandit is an International member to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in the field of biological sciences.