Shivani Kathi

Shivani Kathi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University (OSU), where she has served since December 2023. Her academic background includes a PhD in Plant and Soil Science from Texas Tech University (2022), an MS from Texas A&M University-Kingsville (2019), and a Bachelor's in Agriculture from Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, India (2018).

Her research focuses on sustainable agricultural practices, including vegetable crop production, nutrient management, urban horticulture, and controlled environment systems like hydroponics. She emphasizes biofortification of nutrients in plants and strategies to reduce production costs while enhancing crop resilience to environmental stresses. Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health), 11 (Sustainable Cities), and 12 (Responsible Consumption).

Kathi teaches courses such as Hydroponics and Soilless Crop Production, Urban Horticulture, and Commercial Vegetable Production at OSU. She actively seeks collaborations in IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access) initiatives, industry projects, and supervising undergraduate/master’s research. Notable grants include projects on climate-resilient horticulture and nutritional diversity in local crops. Her recent publications explore student-led pedagogy, temperature impacts on lettuce metabolites, and vitamin C biofortification in microgreens.

• Grants (Selected): Crucial Capacity Building Through Graduate Training (2025–2030), Cultivating Healthier Communities (2024–2025), Heat-Tolerant Tomato Breeding (2024–2025).
• Teaching: Courses emphasize sustainable practices, hydroponics, and urban agriculture.
• Research Labs/Teams: Focuses on crop improvement, nutrient management, and controlled environment agriculture.