Vaishali Sharda

Dr. Vaishali Sharda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University, specializing in agricultural water sustainability and climate resilience. Her research integrates remote sensing, machine learning, and crop simulation modeling to address water scarcity, combining precision irrigation strategies with high-resolution spatial analysis of climate change impacts on crop productivity. She leads a multi-million-dollar research program funded by NSF, NSF EPSCoR, USDA, and Kansas commodity commissions.  Her NSF CAREER-funded work focuses on modeling multiscale climate resilience in agroecosystems. Since 2020, she has authored 30 peer-reviewed publications, secured over $6.7 million in funding as PI, and mentored numerous graduate students who have earned national research awards. Her work bridges engineering innovation and practical water management, providing farmers and policymakers with actionable strategies for sustainable agriculture under a changing climate. Before joining Kansas State University, Dr. Sharda held postdoctoral positions at Washington State University's AgWeather Net, and the Nebraska Water Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, gaining broad experience across climate-agriculture research systems. She earned her Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from Auburn University and completed her B.S and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Engineering and Farm Power and Machinery, respectively, at Punjab Agricultural University in India.