Debankur Sanyal

Growing up in semi-rural India, Dr. Debankur Sanyal was always curious about nature and physical environments. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in agriculture with a ‘University Merit Scholarship’, he received a National Fellowship to pursue his master’s degree in Soil Science as a ‘Junior Research Fellow’ at Punjab Agricultural University. Dr. Sanyal always dreamt of doing research in the United States and the opportunity came as he joined North Dakota State University (NDSU) in 2016 to pursue his doctoral degree in Soil Science. After 6 years of doctoral and postdoctoral experience in the Midwest, Dr. Sanyal joined the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona in January 2022.

A soil scientist by training, Dr. Sanyal runs a statewide Soil Health Research and Extension program seeking sustainable ways to improve soil health and agricultural production. He launched a ‘Healthy Desert Soils Initiative’ to identify the needs and conduct soil health research in the low deserts of Arizona, providing support to the agricultural industry. Dr. Sanyal’s soil health team is actively meeting stakeholders, organizing workshops and educational events, surveying the regional landscape, and conducting research to understand the complexities of crop production and build healthy soils and environments in Arizona. Currently, Dr. Sanyal is leading multiple research projects to find sustainable solutions for the agricultural stakeholders in the desert Southwest.