UC Davis Honorees
GCHERA World Agriculture Prize More>>
Jorge Dubcovsky
Internationally renowned wheat geneticist, HHMI investigator and distinguished professor of plant sciences, Jorge Dubcovsky received the 2026 prize in the category of research conducted in developed economies. With more than three decades leading innovative research in the identification and characterization of key genes in wheat, Dubcovsky is recognized for contributions to global food security with the improvement of this essential crop that benefits growers and provides nutrition for billions of people worldwide. His work laid the foundation for the development of more robust, disease- and climate-resilient varieties of the grain. The tools he developed through his discoveries have tackled some of agriculture's most pressing problems. His work has been widely implemented by wheat breeders worldwide.
Pamela C. Ronald
Pamela Ronald, Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology, faculty in the UC Davis Genome Center, and Founding Director of the Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy at UC Davis, is the first woman to receive the GCHERA World Agriculture Prize. Dr. Ronald has contributed significantly to the genetic improvement of rice, half the world’s staple food, leading to significant enhancement of its flood and disease tolerance and to increased cultivation by more than 6 million subsistence farmers. She is renowned for agricultural and life sciences education and outreach, engaging with diverse communities on the need to feed a growing population without further destruction of the environment. Among her honors, she is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a recipient of the Louis Malassis International Scientific Prize for Agriculture and Food, and was named by Scientific American one of the world’s 100 most influential people in biotechnology.
R. Paul Singh
R. Paul Singh, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Food Science in the Colleges of Engineering and Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis, is third in the world to be named a GCHERA World Agriculture Prize Laureate. Dr. Singh’s contributions are centered in his development of advanced mathematical applications for understanding physical changes in food processing, and are universally recognized in engineering education programs and industry. He pioneered the use of the Internet in teaching food science, and is at the forefront of early developers of web-based course materials. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a recipient of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Massey Ferguson Education Award, and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Association of Engineering and Food.