Sujay Kumar

Dr. Sujay V. Kumar is a research physical scientist and the Assistant Lab Chief of NASA's Hydrological Sciences Laboratory. He earned his Doctorate and Masters degrees in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University (2002), following his undergraduate education at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, where he graduated with the Institute Silver Medal as the top student in Civil Engineering. During his NASA career, Dr. Kumar developed the NASA Land Information System (LIS)—awarded NASA Software of the Year (2005)—which has been deployed across agencies and institutions worldwide to enhance weather forecasting, drought monitoring, and water management. He currently leads several projects applying Earth science to critical national and global challenges. Dr. Kumar has authored more than 180 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals. His contributions have been recognized with the Arthur S. Flemming Award (2023), NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (2021), and NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal (2018). He serves as Editor for Geophysical Research Letters and on committees including the WMO Expert Team for Operational Hydrology. Beyond his research, Dr. Kumar mentors students globally and has received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for community engagement. He is passionate about translating Earth science research into solutions for water scarcity, food security, and water management challenges worldwide.