Dr. Madhurababu Kunta was born in Machilipatnam, India. His family includes his wife, Madhavi, faculty in mathematics at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and daughters Niharika (undergraduate student) and Ramya (high School student). He received his bachelors in agricultural sciences from Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, India and post-graduate diploma in planning and project management from University of Hyderabad, India. He worked as a sales officer at East India Distilleries (EID) Parry India Ltd, a fertilizer manufacturing company. Later, he worked as a production officer at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a company that produces improved hybrid seeds. He moved to the USA and obtained Master of Science from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University-College Station. Prior to joining the TAMUK faculty, he worked as a research associate and project director at TAMUK Citrus Center.
Kunta published numerous research articles in reputed journals, presented at various regional, national and international professional meetings, and successful in obtaining grant funding for several collaborative research projects. As of 2020, he has been involved in research projects supported by over $19 million dollars and has obtained well over $3 million directly supporting his research. He received faculty research awards in 2017 and 2020. He served as the President of Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society during 2018-19 and currently serves as the Treasurer. He also serves as an Editor of Springer a biotech journal (An International Journal on Plant Biotechnology and Agricultural Sciences), Senior Editor of the Journal of Plant Disease Sciences, and Managing Editor of Subtropical Agriculture and Environments.
Kunta serves as an adjunct graduate faculty, Plant–Associated Microorganisms / Plant Health (Horticulture, MEPS) in the Department of Horticulture, Texas A&M-College Station. He teaches horticulture and provides guest lectures in Plant Biotechnology. He also manages a state of the art USDA-certified diagnostics laboratory housed at the Citrus Center. Kunta’s research interests include plant pathology, pathogen identification and diagnostics, biotechnology, and disease management.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center
312 N. International Blvd.
Weslaco, TX 78599
Voice: (956) 447-3360
Fax: (956) 969-0649
E-mail: Madhura.Kunta@tamuk.edu
