UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sahil Pawar says that tackling the world’s agricultural challenges is not a task for one person — it requires a collective effort.
That grounded view shapes the early-career entomologist’s research, which examines how environmental stressors, such as soil salinity, drought and climate change, influence the interactions between crops and the pests that feed on them.
“My work is a grain of salt — pun intended,” said the doctoral candidate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “While research is crucial, I believe the contributions and connections you make along the way, the people you inspire and mentor, and the products you help companies develop that make it to market are just as important.”
Pawar, of Pune, India, said his interest in entomology began during his undergraduate studies at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.
“I was interested in animal behavior and bird watching, so I enjoyed going out in the field and just documenting my observations,” he said. “However, the career prospects of that did not seem too great. The thing that drew me most to this field was that it allows you to mix fieldwork, wet-lab work and desk work, keeping things interesting while offering career prospects.”
That led him to pursue graduate studies in plant-insect interactions. For him, there was no better option than Penn State, working under the mentorship of Gary Felton, Ralph O. Mumma Professor of Entomology and head of the Department of Entomology.
“Penn State is one of the top universities to study chemical ecology and plant-insect interactions,” Pawar said. “The subject-matter expertise the professors provide is unparalleled, and they are among the top faculty in this field. More importantly, the collaborative atmosphere between professors and graduate students enables us to help each other with our research and to gain co-authorship on each other’s papers, advancing our careers together. All of us students have, or will receive, co-authorship on each other’s papers, advancing our careers.”
In Felton’s lab, Pawar studies how environmental stressors, primarily salty soil — a problem often overlooked in agriculture — affect the relationships between plants and insects. His work is helping researchers and industry partners understand how shifting growing conditions affect pest management strategies. The end goal is to improve plant health, which improves food security.
In one project, he tested the beneficial fungus Trichoderma to see whether it could help plants tolerate salty conditions while protecting them from harmful insects, demonstrating how natural solutions can support crop health.
As a complement to his research, Pawar gained practical experience through internships with Corteva Agriscience, a global agriculture company that develops seeds and crop-protection products to help farmers grow more efficiently, and Bayer, an international life sciences company whose agriculture division provides seeds and technologies to support sustainable farming. Pawer aided pest-management research programs at both companies.
“These internships have provided invaluable experience for the development of my research career,” Pawar said. “It gave me insight into what my job would look like in an industry setting, which is the direction I want to take. I believe you are the average of the five people you surround yourself with. When you are surrounded by extraordinary talent, you have no choice but to level up. Every person I’ve met in my industry experience has been very ambitious, which has been highly motivating.”
Multiple awards grace Pawar’s bookshelf, including the one he considers the most meaningful — the Kenneth and Barbara Starks Plant Resistance to Insects Graduate Student Award from the Entomological Society of America. The annual award is given to a student who demonstrates outstanding achievements in the field of plant-insect interactions.
“This is the best award I could have received as it shows me that I am at the top of my field,” he said.
Pawar said he draws lessons from everyone he meets but points to a few mentors who have shaped his journey, most notably his parents and Felton.
“They gave me the rare gift of autonomy and confidence to pursue my own path,” he said, adding that his manager at Bayer, Sajjan Grover, also provided guidance that helped him tap into his ambitious, collaborative side.
“Today, I have numerous publications, awards and collaborations — achievements made possible by my mentors and academic experiences,” Pawar said. “These influences have been a powerful motivator, pushing me to succeed.”
Felton said he is confident Pawar will flourish, no matter where his future takes him, describing him as one of the most organized students he has known.
“Sahil has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to collaborate with other students and labs, which will result in a very impressive publication output,” Felton said. “The industry internships have provided him with new opportunities to expand his research skills and to network for future job opportunities. Regardless of his career choices and options, he has the research and social skills to excel.”