About

Inspecting rice panicles for signs of cold stress in experiments conducted in the Senegal river valley

Dr. Timothy J. Krupnik has more than 15 years of experience in applied agricultural research for development projects in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Caribbean. He leads an innovative and multi-disciplinary science team implementing $5 million / year portfolio of research for development projects focused on the principles of sustainable and ecological intensification in smallholder dominated and tropical agricultural systems. His team’s research spans disciplines and brings together technical skills ranging from systems agronomy, remote sensing, socioeconomics, climatology, environmental modeling and data science, with the objective of addressing key knowledge gaps and efforts required to raise farmers’ productivity and resilience in the context of climate variability and biophysical, economic, and sociocultural diversity in South and South East Asia. Timothy prioritizes interdisciplinary and systems-oriented research, and has a strong track-record of building high-performing science partnerships and attracting funding. He has authored over 65 peer-reviewed papers, books and research briefs, and has participated in developing a number of agricultural decision support tools. Prior to CIMMYT, Timothy was affiliated with AfricaRice where he conducted research on the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of water-saving rice systems in West Africa. He has also conducted research and consulted for the Gates Foundation, the FAO, and NGOs. Timothy maintains a strong desire to translate science into impact by mainstreaming research innovations. To this end, he has led the production of numerous educational and extension materials, including 11 farmer educational videos translated into six languages.

Harvesting wheat in Jashore, Bangladesh (Left), Farming systems mapping in Patuakhali, Bangladesh (middle), Soil sampling in rice plots in Senegal (right)

Education

PhD. (2011) Environmental Studies (Concentration in Agroecology). University of California, Santa Cruz. Dissertation title: Integrated Agronomic and Socioeconomic Assessment of Water Saving Rice Crop Management Systems in the Sahel.

MSc. (2005) International Agricultural Development. University of California, Davis. Thesis title: Linking Farmer, Forest and Watershed: Agricultural Systems and Natural Resources Management Along the Upper Njoro River, Kenya.
B.A. (2000) Cultural Anthropology, concentration in Human Ecology.
New College of California (School of Humanities), San Francisco.

EXPERIENCE

18 years of multi-country research into development experience focused on smallholder cereal-based farming systems.
Proven leadership abilities and experience coordinating multi-disciplinary and multi-country science teams, and with aligning complex internationally funded programs public and private partnerships.
>8 years of large-scale (up to $5 million annual turnover) project implementation, adaptive management, and reporting
Successful management of donor relations and consolidation of $20.9 million of R4D funding as Project Leader at CIMMYT. Core contributions to project design and proposal writing amounting to $77.4 million in grant and competitive project funding.

SYSTEMS THINKING

Dynamic and integrative systems thinking: interdisciplinary background with training in the natural and social sciences, but with core expertise in tropical agronomy. My projects prioritize multidisciplinary teams and the analysis of environmental and agricultural production problems using mixed methods.
Hands-on experience with methods for measurement of (1) water productivity and nutrient balances, (2) weed community ecology and crop-weed competition, (3) farming systems analysis and farmer decision making processes, (4) geospatial technology targeting, and (5) multi-criteria assessments of crop and farming systems utilizing agronomic, energetic, environmental, and socioeconomic indicators and indices.

Village landscape in the far north of Burkina Faso

Awards and fellowships

2018

Field Crops Research Journal. Excellent Peer Reviewer Award.

2016

Event and Visual Communication Association (EVCOM) bronze Screen Award for Communication Effectiveness, awarded jointly to CIMMYT, Agro-Insight, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, and Agricultural Advisory Society. More details: Click here.

2015

Access Agriculture award for the use of video in farmer extension and outreach, awarded jointly to CIMMYT and Agricultural Advisory Society. Nairobi, Kenya.

2010

University of California President’s Fellowship.
Environmental Studies Departmental Fellowship, University of California, Santa Cruz.
First prize graduate student poster. International Agronomy. American Society of Agronomy Crops and
Soils Conference. Sacramento, California.

2009

Benjamin Hammett Fellowship for Research on Water Management and Climate Change.
Annie’s Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship.

2008

US Presidential Volunteer Service Silver Award for work on municipal composting in Bangladesh.

2007

The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Environmental Fellowship.
The Rotary Foundation International Ambassadorial Scholarship.
Environmental Studies Departmental Fellowship, University of California, Santa Cruz.

2006

Environmental Studies Departmental Fellowship, University of California, Santa Cruz.

2005

Center for Tropical Research in Ecology, Agriculture and Development Award.
Environmental Studies Departmental Fellowship, University of California, Santa Cruz.

2004

University of California Regent’s Fellowship.

2003

International Career Center Grant for the University of California, Davis.
University of California Davis Jastro Shields Research Grant.

2002

Jastro Shields Memorial Endowment Fellowship for Graduate Studies.