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Sawhney, Vipen

Vipen Sawhney earned a B.Sc (1965) and M.Sc (1967) from the University of Panjab and PhD (1972) from the University of Western Ontario. He accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at Simon Fraser University in 1972 before coming to the University of Saskatchewan in 1975. Dr. Sawhney rose through the ranks serving as the Rawson Professor of Biology and Department Head from 2003-2007. In addition to his U of S appointment, he has been a visiting Professor and Fellow several times. Dr. Sawhney maintained a first rate research program throughout his career co-editing a book and authoring more than a hundred refereed papers. He is an internationally recognized plant geneticist focussing on understanding the processes and mechanisms controlling flower and pollen development in angiosperms using floral and male-sterile mutants in tomato, canola (Brassica napes) and Arabidopsis. By using microscopic, physiological (hormonal and environmental) and proteomic approaches, Dr. Sawhney has investigated the various factors, and their possible interactions, in plant developmental processes. His research on male sterility in tomato has been applied in the hybrid seed industry. He has received many awards and honours including the Master Teacher 2007, Earned Doctor of Science 2010 and the Award of Innovation from the University of Saskatchewan. He served as the President, Canadian Botanical Association, 2004-2006, President, International Association of Sexual Plant Reproduction and Research, 1998-2002 and Vice-President, Canadian Botanical Association, 1998-1999.