Alcorn State University dean and professor elected to lead Mississippi Academy of Sciences
Dr. Babu P. Patlolla, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and professor, has been elected president of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS).
His term as MAS president began on July 1, 2023. He is the first representative from Alcorn State University to lead MAS since its inception in 1932.
“The Alcorn community celebrates this amazing achievement with Dr. Patlolla,” said Dr. Joyce Buckner-Brown, interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “He continues to demonstrate his leadership prowess, and I am confident he will excel in this new role.”
As president, Patlolla intends to increase student participation from universities across the state at the 88th MAS Annual Meeting. The event will be held from February 29-March 1, 2024, at the Thad Cochran Convention Center at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss.
“It’s an honor, and I am elated to be chosen to lead the esteemed science organization of the state and to be involved in directing policies over the year,” said Patlolla. “I am looking forward to encouraging science and engineering students and scientists to be more involved in the annual meeting and increase overall membership of the Academy.”
Driven by his dedication to fostering scientific excellence, Patlolla aims to amplify the number of presentations at the annual meeting and bolster membership enrollment for the organization.
Patlolla’s achievements and commitment to the scientific community have been recognized with his appointment as a life member and Fellow of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (FMAS). He received the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Science’ award from the Academy in 2021.
Since joining Alcorn State University in 1997 as an assistant professor of biology, he earned tenure in 2003, was promoted to associate professor in 2004, and ultimately attained the rank of professor in 2011.
Over the years, he has held various leadership positions, including his tenure as the head of the biology department from 2002 to 2004 and his role as the associate dean of the area from 2009 to 2013. Patlolla has served as dean for the School of Arts and Sciences for the past decade.
His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry and a master’s degree in genetics from Osmania University in India. He furthered his academic studies, earning a master’s degree in biology and a doctoral degree in environmental sciences from Jackson State University.
He is the son of Sri P. Anna Rao and the late Smt. P. Susheela of Raparthy, Telangana, India. He is married to Dr. Anita Patlolla, and they are the parents of a son, Shiva, and a daughter, Sapna.
