WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, a botany and plant pathology professor, has been named head of Purdue University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture by Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of the College of Agriculture.
Iyer-Pascuzzi joined Purdue’s faculty 13 years ago after earning an undergraduate degree in molecular environmental biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a doctorate in plant genetics from Cornell University. She also completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in plant biology at Duke University.
“Dr. Iyer-Pascuzzi has an amazing career as a highly respected researcher and professor,” Engel said. “I know she will inspire faculty, staff and students with her vision, determination and leadership.”
Iyer-Pascuzzi has received numerous awards for research and teaching, including the Foundation for Food and Agriculture New Innovator Award, Faculty Scholar, and the Purdue College of Agriculture Outstanding Graduate Mentor and Teaching Award.
Since coming to Purdue, Iyer-Pascuzzi has developed an internationally recognized research program focused on molecular plant pathology in tomato plants. Her laboratory team focuses on understanding how plants and microbes communicate with each other over multiple scales and in different environments — from cells to whole organs and from Earth to space.
Iyer-Pascuzzi describes her administrative philosophy as being rooted in service over authority, listening and communication over dictating, and empowerment through trust and delegation.
“I am committed to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration that enables our faculty, staff and students to translate discovery into impact, deliver transformative teaching and push disciplinary boundaries,” she said. “I am honored to lead a department that embodies the land grant mission and am energized by the opportunity to support our faculty, staff and students deliver solutions with lasting impact at the state, national and global levels.”
This article was originally published on April 2, 2026, by the College of Agriculture, Purdue University