Dr. Bandara Gajanayake graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka in year 2000 with a B.Sc (Agriculture), Second Class (Upper) honors pass. He obtained his M. Phil. degree in Agriculture Economics and Business in year 2007, from the Post-graduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He obtained his MSc. and PhD from the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mississippi State University, USA in years 2010 and 2014 respectively. Dr. Gajanayake’s academic career starts as a Teaching Assistant/Demonstrator in the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, soon after his Bachelor’s degree. In year 2001, he was recruited to the Department of Plantation Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka as a teaching assistant/demonstrator and then in the same year recruited to the permanent academic staff /lecturer of the same department. He obtained a certificate of teaching in higher education (CTHE) from Wayamba University of Sri Lanka in year 2006. Further he successfully completed one year program on university teaching and awarded a certificate “Preparing Future Faculty (PPF)” from the Mississippi State University in year 2013.

twin areas namely Resource Management in Plantations and Climate Change Agriculture. While working on these areas he also has ongoing interests on (i) Plantation crop production and management; (ii) Environmental crop physiology; (iii) Crop modeling; (iv) Commodity marketing; (v) Urban agriculture; (vi) Agro-biodiversity and market opportunities for high value agro-biodiversity products; and (vii) Medicinal and underutilized plants.