Dr. Mendu, a research scientist who specializes in plant physiology and biochemistry, is a Winifred Asbjornson Plant Sciences Endowed Chair and associate professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology at Montana State University. Prior to joining the MSU faculty, Mendu served as an Associate professor at Texas Tech University. Mendu received his bachelor's degree in agriculture and master's degree in genetics and plant breeding from ANGR Agricultural University, India. His doctorate in plant physiology/biochemistry/molecular biology is from the University of Kentucky. Awards for Mendu include the “TTU Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Research”, “College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources International impact”, “College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Research”, and “TTU Alumni Association New Faculty” Awards. Dr. Mendu is particularly interested in continuing his research efforts on plant cell wall biology. One of his goals is to identify and characterize the genes involved in the plant cell wall biosynthesis using model plant Arabidopsis and apply for cotton fiber improvement.