UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A faculty member in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences has been named recipient of Research.com’s Plant Science and Agronomy Leader Award for 2024 and is included in the academic platform’s 2024 Ranking of Best Scientists in the Field of Plant Science and Agronomy.

Jonathan Lynch, distinguished professor of plant nutrition whose research has focused on understanding the genetic, physiological and ecological basis of plant adaptation to drought and low soil fertility, is ranked by Research.com as #34 in the world and #7 in the United States.

To determine the rankings, Research.com evaluated the records of nearly 3,500 scientists worldwide, and rated them using several indicators and metrics such as citations and awards, according to Imed Bouchrika, co-founder of Research.com and chief data scientist for the platform.

Lynch is deserving of the recognition for his world-class research around root traits that can be used to breed crops with better acquisition of water, nitrogen and phosphorus, noted Erin Connolly, professor and head of the Department of Plant Science, but his value to Penn State transcends his experiments.  

“Jonathan Lynch is among the top plant scientists in the world, and he has been responsible for many discoveries related to roots over a long career,” she said. “But the impact he’s had in grad studies, teaching, mentoring of international scientists and most recently in leadership — founding and leading the Center for Root and Rhizosphere Biology and leading Phase 2 of Penn State’s Plantworks initiative — is enormous.” 

Lynch said he is humbled by this recognition.

“But I accept it on behalf of the many young scientists and colleagues who have participated in this work over many years,” he said. “I especially highlight the role of Professor Emerita Kathleen Brown, who has been a treasured partner in every aspect of this effort.”