Tipperary scientist is presented with a prestigious award in ~America

It was wonderful to hear that Dr John Ryan, a native of Carrigataha, Cahir and a former student of St Joseph’s College, recently received the prestigious Presidential Award from the Soil Science Society of America at the Annual International Meetings that took place in Salt Lake City, USA in November.

The award was presented by Professor Michael Thompson on the day.

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The award recognised Dr Ryan’s “outstanding influence on our science and the future of our science and profession”. This is the first time that any such award was presented to an Irish scientist.

In his acceptance speech John highlighted the role of science in underpinning agricultural development, environmental sustainability, and food security, as well as a necessary condition to achieving global peace.

John attended University College Dublin on a County Council Scholarship and graduated with B. Agric. Sci. (in 1967) and a PhD (in 1971).  He was later awarded a Doctor of Science Degree (D.Sc., in 1999) for outstanding published work of international distinction.

John’s long career involved a role as a Fulbright post-doctoral Scholar in The University of Arizona, Professor at the American University of Beirut, and later at the University of Nebraska based in Morocco. Subsequently John spent 20 years as a senior scientist at the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas based in Syria. His career embraced teaching, mentoring, research, editing and administration. He continues to serve on various international committees.

As a prolific writer, John has authored over 200 referred scientific articles along with numerous books and related publications. He has travelled and lectured extensively thought the world, e.g., Australia, New Zealand, India, China,  Pakistan, Kenya, Sudan, South Africa, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, Europe, Canada, USA and South America. He has received numerous accolades. John is a Fellow of the Soil Science of America, the Crop Science of America, and the American Society of Agronomy, and has also received all of the Societies International Awards. In addition, he has the distinction of being elected a Fellow of the American Society for the Advancement of Science.  

The major awards John has received include being Laureate of the International Crop Nutrition Prize (Cape Town, in 2006) and more recently (in 2018) of the Justus von Liebig Award (Rio de Janeiro), which is considered the unofficial Nobel Prize of the profession. He is an Honorary Member of the International Union of Soil Scientist and is a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Arizona.

Now “retired” in Ireland, Dr Ryan continues to be active professionally both at home and abroad. He delivered the ‘Dr Tom Walsh Centenary Lecture’ in Johnstown Castle in Wexford (in 2015) and at UCD (in 2019). John received the Tipperary-Dublin’s Hall of Fame for academic achievements (in 2015).

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And locally, he is an active member of Probus in Clonmel and has given several lectures for the Cahir Social and Historical Society. We wish John congratulations on this fantastic achievement and best wishes for future endeavours.