Literally thousands of young university students have been turned on to plants by Professor Vipen K. Sawhney.
Sawhney has earned a national and international reputation for his outstanding research in the area of plant development. He has published over 100 papers in refereed journals, co-edited a book and written over 20 book chapters and reviews. The impact of his work is evidenced by the more than 50 invitations he has received to present symposia talks and seminars around the world. Professor Sawhney has made major contributions in both basic and applied science. His fundamental research on plant reproduction, particularly pollen development and male sterility in plants, is recognized internationally. His group has demonstrated the importance of the tapetum, hormones and environmental factors for pollen development. Most recently Professor Sawhney’s lab has applied a battery of modern proteomics technologies to determine the key proteins involved in pollen and tapetum development. This cutting edge research has yielded very important information regarding several proteins and their functions during pollen development.
Professor Sawhney’s research also has important applications in the area of hybrid seed production. Hybrids are important to agriculture because they show increased vigor and have a higher yield. Professor Sawhney has developed a male-sterile mutant in tomato, which is attracting considerable attention internationally for hybrid seed production and has been licensed to a seed company in Italy and transferred to agricultural universities in China, Mongolia and India.
In addition to being a highly respected and successful scientist, Professor Sawhney has won awards for his teaching prowess, including the College of Arts and Science Teaching Excellence Award and the University of Saskatchewan Master Teacher Award. He is known for his enthusiasm for plant biology and his compassion for his students, both undergraduate and graduate. He is truly a gifted teacher.
Professor Sawhney is also a talented administrator. He directed the affairs of the Department of Biology as Head, was appointed Rawson Professor for distinguished service, served as Vice President and President of the Canadian Botanical Association, and President of the International Association of Sexual Plant Reproduction. His contributions to the Canadian Botanical Association were recognized with the Mary Elliott Service Award and recently by the Association’s most prestigious award, the Lawson Medal, for the excellence of his lifetime contribution to Canadian botany.
Despite his success as a research scientist, teacher and administrator, Professor Sawhney remains a humble individual and a fine human being.
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