Rattan Lal

Rattan Lal is a Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and Director of the CFAES Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration at The Ohio State University. He also serves as Adjunct Professor at the University of Iceland and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). With a Ph.D. from Ohio State University (1968), Dr. Lal has held academic and research positions across Australia, Nigeria, and the United States.

A globally recognized authority in soil science and carbon management, Dr. Lal has authored more than 1,100 peer-reviewed articles and edited over 100 books. He has mentored hundreds of students and scholars and visited 102 countries throughout his distinguished career. Ranked #1 globally in Agricultural Sciences by Research.com (2023), he is consistently listed among Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers.

He is a former President of several major scientific organizations, including the International Union of Soil Sciences, and currently serves on advisory boards for the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Defense. He also acts as Chair in Soil Science and Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainability for IICA.

Dr. Lal is a laureate of numerous international honors, including the World Food Prize (2020), Japan Prize (2019), and India’s Padma Shri Award (2021).