BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

SONNY RAMASWAMY received his B. Sc. (Agriculture) and M. Sc. (Entomology) degrees from the University of Agricultural Sciences , Bangalore , India . He has a Ph.D. in entomology from Rutgers University , where he worked on the role of endocrines in the sexual behavior of the German cockroach. He worked with Ring Cardé at Michigan State University as a postdoc, undertaking research on sex pheromones and behavior of spruce budworm and other moths and cockroaches. He worked also with Fumio Matsumura at Michigan State on the effects of pesticides on sodium/calcium exchange in the brains of rats and insects. In 1992, he spent a sabbatical leave with Wendell Roelofs at Cornell University to study the mode of action of neuropeptides on sex pheromone production in moths.

Sonny was on the faculty at Mississippi State University from August 1982 through 1997. As an insect physiologist, he worked on the integrative reproductive biology of insects, encompassing such areas as endocrine and ovarian physiology, chemical ecology, pheromones and sexual behavior and their regulation by hormones, and structure and function of sensory receptors as related to host finding and mating in insects. Sonny was named head of entomology at Kansas State University in 1997. As department head, he provided leadership in all aspects of departmental administration. At K-State, Sonny's

research, which he continues, was on fundamental processes in insect reproduction, and resulted in tools and kits being used by producers, crop consultants, and extensionists that have offered significant savings to farmers in production costs. He was named KSU Presidential Outstanding Department Head in 2002 and University Distinguished Professor in 2004.

In January 2006, Sonny was named Director of Agricultural Research Programs and Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture at Purdue University . He provides leadership for research programs in agriculture, food, and natural resources, including fiscal management and regulatory functions assigned by the Indiana State Legislature. Sonny oversees research at the Purdue College of Agriculture, eight regional Purdue Agricultural Centers , research farms, campus-based research facilities and a number of research centers. He also coordinates agricultural research with the Purdue College of Consumer and Family Sciences and School of Veterinary Medicine , and facilitates effective linkages with other campus research communities and with Cooperative Extension.

Sonny is the recipient of grants from various federal agencies such as NSF, NIH, USAID, EPA, USDA, state agencies, commodity groups, and industry. He has mentored a number of students and postdocs. He has published over 130 journal articles, book chapters, and a book. He has received a number of awards and honors as a scientist and department head, including being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, and Distinguished Graduate Alumnus of Cook College, Rutgers University .

Sonny is married to Gita, an associate dean in the graduate school at Purdue. Their daughter, Megha, a doctoral student in sociology and public health at CUNY, and son-in-law, Andrew Park, a medical resident at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, reside in New York City . Their dog, Atuk, is an Alaskan Malamute. Sonny enjoys reading, crossword puzzles, Apple computers, designing and maintaining web sites, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Stage acting/Set construction.

Return to the ARP Staff page