Dr. Akshit Puri

Dr. Akshit Puri is a soil scientist with interests in fundamental aspects of soils, sustainable soil management, and soil biodiversity. He has experience teaching courses related to general soil science, plant nutrition, soil ecology, environmental microbiology, and circular bioeconomy. He is passionate about conveying soil science knowledge to the next generation of professionals to assist them in tackling the challenges of contemporary land management. His research expertise lies in soil biology, plant-microbe interactions and nitrogen cycling in diverse ecosystems including natural forests and grasslands, managed agricultural systems, and anthropogenically disturbed environments. He is also interested in comprehensively studying the interlinkages between belowground communities and soil physical and chemical properties, with the ultimate goal of improving soil health.

Before joining KPU, Dr. Puri was an Assistant Professor in Environmental and Applied Microbiology at the School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Ireland. He completed his PhD degree in Soil Science from the University of British Columbia in 2020 working on evaluating the role of plant-beneficial bacteria in supporting the growth of conifer trees in disturbed environments. He also obtained his MSc degree in Soil Science from the University of British Columbia in 2015. As a graduate student at UBC, he contributed to the delivery of a variety of courses related to introductory soil science, soil processes, soil biology, soils and the global environment, forest land management, and land, food and community in his role as a Teaching Assistant and Guest Lecturer.