Dr. Bhimu Patil

Dr. Bhimu Patil is the Regents Professor and Inaugural Leonard Pike University Professor as
well as Director of the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center of the Texas A&M University
and Director of USDA National Center of Excellence for Melons. He also serves as Love Tito’s
Endowed Professor at Texas A&M University. He has published more than 244 peer-reviewed
papers. Dr. Patil’s research focuses on the broader impacts of fruits and vegetables on human
health.  His work also examines the effects of harvesting and post-harvesting practices on fruit
and vegetable quality. Dr. Patil’s contribution, in establishing the concept ‘Foods for Health,’ is
integrating the methods involved in production of fruits and vegetables, from plant breeding,
agronomic practices, harvesting methods, distribution and sales, health benefits, quality, food
safety, to (finally) consumption. He has secured $4.4 Million funding for a USDA-SCRI-CAPS
National Center of Excellence to make sure the melons does not carry food-borne illness,
improved the agricultural economics for farmers growing these watermelons, initiated a
campaign to encourage consumers to eat fresh melon, and organized an international symposium
to help scientists around the world share their discoveries related to Foods for Health, including
melons. He gave more than 120 invited presentations in land grant institutions, professional
societies, industry, and learned society organizations including 24 plenary/keynote in several
countries including Australia, Brazil, China, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, France, India,
Israel, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, Portugal and different states in the U.S.A.
Patil received 19 awards including six “Fellow” recognition by professional societies: American
Chemical Society (ACS); American Society for Horticultural Sciences; Brazilian Horticulture
Society; Indian Horticulture Society; Division of Agri. Food Chem of ACS; Indian Society of
Citriculture, Texas A&M University Senior and Junior Fellow. He co-founded an international
symposium on FAV Health in 2005. He has chaired or co-chaired 25 symposia. He has been
interviewed and/or his work has been published in 135 articles and news media. He has received
a total of $27 Million grants and $17.6 million for his program.