Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals

Dr. Silvia A. Pereyra has emerged as a leader in agricultural research in her native Uruguay. Her career has delivered tangible benefits to farmers in South America and has had significant impact in many parts of the developing world.

Dr. Pereyra is globally recognized for her research on the diseases of barley, in particular her work on Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley and Ramularia leaf spot of barley. She has contributed to the development and release of 10 varieties of barley and six varieties of wheat. Some of these have been deployed around the world to increase productivity and protect against plant diseases that cause high crop losses. This is especially important in developing countries, where barley is often a main crop and key to food security.

As a principal research scientist at Uruguay’s National Institute for Agricultural Research, Dr. Pereyra holds the highest rank available for a scientist in the country. She has been nationally recognized for her work, receiving the First National Award for Outstanding Achievements in Agricultural Sciences from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Dr. Pereyra has maintained strong ties to the University of Minnesota, developing and maintaining collaborative research projects with the small grains pathology and barley breeding programs. She has been instrumental in sustaining a long-established collaborative relationship between the University and Uruguay’s National Institute for Agricultural Research, and she has served as a host for UMN graduate students completing internships in Uruguay.

In naming Dr. Pereyra a recipient of the Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals, the selection committee recognizes her outstanding contributions to the field of agriculture in South America and around the world.