Home About News Barbour Scholar Was First Indian Woman to Receive Botany Doctorate Barbour Scholar Was First Indian Woman to Receive Botany Doctorate Edavelth Kakkat Janaki Ammal would go on to pioneer new hybrid crops and advocate for preserving India's native plant life. September 26, 2024 | Rackham Graduate School Categories: Barbour Scholars Alumni Spotlights A century ago, Edavelth Kakkat Janaki Ammal (M.S. ’25; Ph.D. ’31) received the Barbour Scholarship, one of the University of Michigan’s oldest and most prestigious scholarships, beginning a journey in graduate education that would culminate in her being the first Indian woman to receive a Ph.D. in botany in the United States. As a graduate student, Ammal specialized in plant cytology, the study of genetic composition and patterns of gene expression in plants, with a focus on breeding interspecific hybrids. Upon her return to India, she would use that knowledge to develop a new cultivar of sugarcane capable of thriving in the country’s climate and reducing the need to import sugar from Southeast Asia and other regions. She continued to teach and conduct research in India and the United Kingdom, developing additional hybrid crops and advocating for the preservation of India’s native flora. Read more at the University Record. Tags: barbour scholarship alumni spotlight Botany
Professional Development and the Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program October 2, 2024 | Rackham Graduate School In this Q&A, Jeremy Glover, an academic program manager on Rackham’s Professional Development and Engagement team, shares their thoughts on the Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program and tips for what makes a successful application. How Rackham Helps News Professional Development
Addressing Breast Cancer Disparities October 22, 2024 | Rackham Graduate School Rackham Ph.D. candidate Kassidy Jungles researches new therapeutics for an aggressive subtype of breast cancers disproportionately impacting young Black women. How Rackham Helps Student Spotlights
