By Denise Attaway
When Shalini Etukuri thinks about the path that led her to Clemson University, she begins with her parents.
Growing up in rural India, Etukuri watched her mother and father balance two demanding callings: farming and teaching. Their days often began before sunrise in the fields, continued in the classroom and ended back on the farm. Through their example, Etukuri learned lessons that would shape her future, including hard work, perseverance and a deep respect for agriculture.
“My parents showed me that you can pursue your passion while serving others,” Etukuri said. “They are my greatest inspiration.”
Today, those lessons guide her as a doctoral candidate in the Clemson Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, where she is conducting research to improve cotton and support the future of sustainable agriculture.
Finding a home at Clemson
Etukuri earned her bachelor’s in agriculture from Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University in India and her master’s in plant molecular biology from Alabama A&M University, where she worked with Venkateswara Rao Sripathi.
She was initially drawn to Clemson because of its strong reputation in plant breeding and genetics. What ultimately convinced her to join the University, however, was the culture she found within the laboratory of Christopher Saski, systems geneticist.
Source : clemson.edu