Kariyat Holds Clyde H. Sites Endowed Professorship in International Crop Physiology
Kariyat unravels the secrets of plant-insect interactions
By John Lovett – Jul. 14, 2025
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Rupesh Kariyat unravels the secrets of plant-insect interactions as the associate professor of crop entomology with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and now does this work with support from the Clyde H. Sites Endowed Professorship in International Crop Physiology.
Kariyat joined the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, in 2022 following a post at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He teaches courses in the entomology and plant pathology department for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, and has an appointment with the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the Division of Agriculture.
“Dr. Kariyat came to us with a wealth of experience in plant defense responses and has quickly built a strong research program here,” said Ken Korth, head of the entomology and plant pathology department. “We were so fortunate to have him join our department with split duties in research, teaching and extension. He excels in all those responsibilities and is very deserving of this professorship, which will certainly help him to be a more productive and impactful faculty member.”
The Clyde H. Sites Endowed Professorship was established in 2004 through the Ben J. Altheimer Charitable Foundation Inc., a longtime supporter of the University of Arkansas System and its institutions.
“I am honored to receive this prestigious endowed professorship,” Kariyat said. “With the additional resources available, as a lab, we hope to better understand plant response to both biotic and abiotic stressors, with the goal of building resilient crops that benefit the state of Arkansas, and beyond, while also developing novel pest management tools that can be employed for sustainable agriculture.”
Kariyat also expressed gratitude to Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College administration and Korth for the opportunity, and all the current and previous lab members of his lab over the years.
Currently, Kariyat advises five Ph.D. students and a master’s student in the entomology and plant pathology department at Bumpers College. His research is supported by grants from NSF-NIFA Plant Biotic Interactions, a joint program by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as well as USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, and industry partnerships
Kariyat earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture science in 2003 from Kerala Agricultural University in India and his master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Wyoming in 2007. His doctorate from Pennsylvania State University in 2012 focused on insect-plant interactions. He also completed postdoctoral work at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and spent time doing field work in Greece.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on 𝕏 at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on 𝕏 at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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