On Wednesday, April 3, the 2013 International Awards Ceremony was held where Dilrukshi Hashini Galhena won the Homer Higbee International Education Award at MSU.

Dilrukshi Galhena has been instrumental in advancing international agriculture and rural development during her academic career at MSU. As a doctoral student in the Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, she has mastered the art of international communication, understanding and cooperation. This is especially demonstrated in her work to help connect MSU to the people and communities in Sri Lanka and South Asia.

Dilrukshi’s work has focused on reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty in developing countries such as Tajikistan and India. Her skills in communication have shined through during site visits and interviews with farming communities, government official and staff in NGOs.

Her dedication towards international awareness has made Dilrukshi a worthy recipient of many awards and scholarships. As a scholar, she has received accolades for publishing numerous papers and sharing her expertise with others. 

As the President of MSU Sri Lankan Student Association, Dilrukshi played a key role in building the MSU-Sri Lanka Endowment, which has enhanced collaborative programs between Sri Lankan universities and MSU. 

Dilrukshi also joined the MSU delegation to the University of Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka, to help establish collaborative research and programs. She played an important role in the development of a Memorandum of Understanding between MSU and the University of Jaffna. This partnership will not only support the University of Jaffna, which is looking to rebuild after a brutal and painful 30-year civil war, but also helps to expand MSU’s understanding of capacity building in developing countries. 

During her studies she also became an important contributor to MSU’s South Asia Partnership and the World Technology Access Program in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. Dilrukshi believes in: “being a leader and a part of the solution” in every situation, and such qualities and values place her as a worthy recipient of the Homer Higbee Award.