College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Bio

Dr. Karim Maredia is a Professor and Senior Associate to the Dean in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University (MSU).  He serves as the Director of the World Technology Access (WorldTAP) Program.  The WorldTAP is a training, capacity building and technology transfer  program in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU.  Dr. Maredia has worked in numerous international development projects funded by the USAID, USDA, UN-FAO, the World Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, Winrock International, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Prior to joining MSU in 1989, Dr. Maredia worked with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico as a Research Scientist for three years.  Dr. Maredia has extensively traveled to more than 50 countries around the world and has disseminated knowledge, information and new technologies widely to the global agricultural development community. He has published more than 25 papers, book chapters and co-edited five books.  For his contributions to International Human Resources Development, Dr. Maredia was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree (Doctor Honoris Causa) by the University of Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru in May 2009. In March 2010, Dr. Maredia received the prestigious Ralph Smuckler Award for Advancing International Studies and Programs at Michigan State University. The WorldTAP Team that Dr. Maredia directs was awarded the 2014 All-University Excellent in Diversity Award for Advancing Global Competency.  In September 2016, Dr. Maredia was awarded the prestigious International Leadership Award by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture. In April 2017, Dr. Maredia received the prestigious Globie Award from the International Students and Scholars (OISS) office at MSU for providing mentorship to international students and scholars from all over the world.  Since 2017, Dr. Maredia has been serving as a Member of the African Union (AU) High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies. In December 2018, this panel received the Science Diplomacy Award at the Science Forum in South Africa.  Dr. Karim Maredia can be contacted via e-mail at: kmaredia@msu.edu or phone at: (517) 775 6627.

Current assignment: International Outreach 50% | Project Management 50%

Program Description

Teaching

Most of my teaching is in the form of development, coordination and implementation of international short courses in diverse areas of agriculture including Integrated Pest Management, Agricultural Biotechnology, Biosafety, Food Safety, Intellectual Property Management and Technology Transfer. These short courses are offered at MSU and in international settings under the World Technology Access Program (WorldTAP) of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. These interdisciplinary short courses are taught by several faculty members across various departments and colleges at MSU. Strong collaborations have been developed with other universities, government agencies and private institutions/companies in the U.S. and globally to implement these programs.

Research

My involvement in research is through coordination of international collaborative research projects in IPM, agricultural biotechnology, and food security. I serve as a member of various interdisciplinary research teams.

Extension

My extension/outreach activities are in the area of international development. During the past five years, I have been engaged in outreach activities through international projects funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, USDA-FAS, and Mead Johnson Company encompassing areas of Agricultural Biotechnology, Biosafety, Food Safety, and Integrated Pest Management. The outreach activities implemented through these projects cover diverse stakeholders in more than 15 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Concentrations

• Food Security
• Integrated Pest Management
• Agricultural Biotechnology

Professional Experience

• 2004-Present - Professor, Dept. of Entomology, Michigan State University
• 1995-2003 - Associate Professor, Dept. of Entomology, Michigan State University
• 1993-1994 - Assistant Professor, Dept of Entomology, Michigan State University
• 1989-1992 - Research Associate, Department of Entomology, Michigan State University
• 1986-1989 - Research Assistant, Maize Program, CIMMYT, Mexico

Selected Publications

• Dilshani Sarathchandra and Karim M. Maredia. 2014. An International Short Course for Training Professionals as Effective Science Communicators. Journal of Extension. Volume 52, Number 5, Tools of the Trade 5TOT7.
• Karim Maredia, Callista Rakhmatov and Tom Herlache. 2014. Technology Transfer and Commercialization Policies and Practices at Michigan State University. Handbook on Technology Transfer and Commercialization: Experiences of India and U.S., World Technology Access Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, U.S.A.
• Moualhi, I., Galhena, D.H., Maredia, K. and Weebadde, C., 2014. Perceptions of non-Europeans on Biotechnology in Europe: Bridging the Knowledge Gap. Asian Biotechnology Review, Vol. 16, No.2, pp 61-70.
• Dilrukshi Hashini Galhena, R.K.P. Singh, and Karim Maredia. 2014. Enhancing Agricultural Production and Food Security in Bihar, India. WorldTAP Policy Brief 5, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
• Galhena, D.H., Freed, R., Maredia, K.M. and Mikunthan, G., 2013. Home Gardens: a Promising Approach to Enhance Household Food security and Wellbeing. Journal of Agricultur​e and Food Security, 2(8): 1-13.
• Galhena, D.H., Freed, R., Maredia, K.M., Mikunthan, G., Guenthner, J. and Racioppi, L., 2013. Innovative Approaches to Enhance Home Gardens for Improved Food Security, Nutrition, and Livelihoods in Sri Lanka. In review process by the Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences.
• Karim Maredia, Nanda Joshi and Katherine Fedder. 2013. Best Practices in Food Safety Implementation. WorldTAP Policy Brief 3, March 2013, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
• Karim Maredia and Callista Rakhmatov. 2013. Training and Capacity Building in Intellectual Property Management and Technology Transfer in the Global Arena. Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Management of Technology, Porto Alegre, Brazil, April 14 – 18, 2013.
• Chimwemwe F. Chamdimba. Aggrey J. Ambali, Karim M. Maredia. 2013. Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa’s Economic Transformation. Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Management of Technology, Porto Alegre, Brazil, April 14 – 18, 2013.
• Mysore, S., Galhena, D.H. and Maredia, K.M. 2013. Technology Transfer and Commercialization in Agriculture: shifting paradigms, experiences and expectations of developing countries. Proceeding of 22nd International Conference on Management of Technology, Porto Alegre, Brazil, April 14 - 18, 2013

Recommended Links

• World Technology Access Program
• Central Asia Integrated Pest Management CRSP Project