A Cal Poly biological sciences professor is the 2026 recipient of the Charles Edwin Bessey Teaching Award from the Botanical Society of America, one of its highest recognitions in botanical education.
Honoring enthusiasm and innovation in teaching botany, the society highlighted Nishi Rajakaruna ’s outstanding contributions over 22 years, noting his teaching “weaves together fieldwork, food, culture, and rigorous science in ways that make botany impossible to ignore.”
The prestigious national award recognizes individuals whose “work has improved the quality of botanical education at a regional, national, or international level.”
Rajakaruna, an Arroyo Grande, California resident who is originally from Sri Lanka, has served in faculty positions at Cal Poly, since 2017, San José State University (2008-10) and the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine (2004-08 and 2010-16).
“Of all the recognitions I have received throughout my career, this one is especially meaningful because it stems from nominations and support from students whom I have had the privilege of teaching and mentoring over the past 22 years,” Rajakaruna said. “Teaching has always been my first love. It always has been and always will be. There is no greater reward than knowing that you may have made a positive difference in the lives of your students, and to be recognized by former students in this way means more to me than I can adequately express.”
During his career, he taught more than 3,500 students across 19 courses, supervised dozens of undergraduate senior projects and master’s theses, and co-authored over 110 conference presentations where a student was the presenting author, the society noted in his award.
The organization added that about 40% of his 91 peer-reviewed publications list undergraduate co-authors — many as first author, recognizing their lead role in the scientific writing process and meaning that the student’s name will be cited in future publications.
Through multiple Fulbright awards, Rajakaruna also has served as a botanical teacher and researcher in South Africa, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and India. He was appointed as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Alumni Ambassador for 2024-26, serving as an official representative and recruiter for the Fulbright Program — the U.S. government’s flagship international academic and cultural exchange initiative.
Rajakaruna’s instruction has included commitment to student learning through field excursions, research and international collaborations.
Student nominees highlighted many of his contributions:
“I believe that Dr. Rajakaruna’s gift as a teacher of botany is rooted in three strengths: his enthusiasm for student connection, his ability to make botany both engaging and directly relevant, and his savvy in helping students reach their full potential,” said a 2023 Cal Poly alumnus in his nomination letter. “In all of my schooling, I have not met another teacher who placed so much effort in building connections with students.”
The Botanical Society of America, founded in 1893, boasts an international community of over 3,000 members and serves as an overarching network for researchers, educators, students and plant enthusiasts. The society also publishes two prominent peer-reviewed journals: the American Journal of Botany and Applications in Plant Sciences.