Lelethu Mdoda | Climate change | Best Researcher Award

Dr Lelethu Mdoda | Climate change | Best Researcher Award

Senior Lecturer at  University of KwaZulu-Natal,  South Africa

Dr. Lelethu Mdoda is a Senior Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, specializing in Agricultural Economics. He earned his PhD at 25 from the University of Fort Hare, focusing on market participation and value chain integration among smallholder farmers in South Africa.

Profile:

🎓 Academic Background:

  • PhD in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics (2017) – University of Fort Hare
    • Thesis: Market participation and value chain integration among smallholder farmers in Eastern Cape
  • MSc in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics (2015) – University of Fort Hare
    • Dissertation: Farmers’ awareness of climate change and its effects on productivity
  • BSc in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics/Economics (2013) – University of Fort Hare

🔬 Research Focus & Expertise:

Dr. Mdoda specializes in agricultural policy, climate change adaptation, smallholder economies, food security, and rural development. His expertise extends to agribusiness, value chains, sustainability, and resource economics. He has extensive experience in applied econometric modeling, data analysis, and market research.

📚 Professional Career & Contributions:

  • Senior Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • Published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles
  • NRF Rating: Y2
  • Active in mentoring, research, and project management

🌍 Professional Memberships & Leadership:

  • President of the African Farm Management Association (AFMA)
  • Member of AEASA, IAAE, and IFAMA

🏆 Awards & Recognitions:

  • DAAD German Scholarship (2016)
  • NRF Bursary for MSc (2015)
  • Best Agricultural Student Award (2007)
  • Travel Grants from IFAMA (2016, 2017)

🤝 Community Engagement & Projects:

  • Founder & Executive Director of #HaySureLesner Foundation – Youth mentorship, drug abuse awareness, and career guidance
  • Nguni Project – Market coordination for livestock farming
  • Keiskamahoek Market Day – Supporting smallholder farmers with market access
  • WRC Project – Enhancing smallholder irrigation farming in Eastern Cape

Publication Top Notes:

  • Factors affecting the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by livestock farmers in the Eastern Cape province
    L Mdoda, L Mdiya
    Cogent Social Science 8 (1), 2026017 (43 citations, 2022)

  • Factors affecting subsistence farming in rural areas of Nyandeni Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province
    S Qange, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 48 (2), 92-105 (43 citations, 2020)

  • The direct and indirect economic contribution of small-scale black agriculture in South Africa
    M Aliber, L Mdoda
    Agrekon 54 (2), 18-37 (36 citations, 2015)

  • RETRACTED: Factors impacting sugarcane production by small-scale farmers in KwaZulu-Natal Province-South Africa
    Z Thibane, S Soni, L Phali, L Mdoda
    Heliyon 9 (1) (30 citations, 2023)

  • Analysis of profitability of smallholder irrigated food plots in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
    L Mdoda, A Obi
    Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development 3 (53), 225–232 (23 citations, 2019)

  • Socio-economic factors affecting home gardens as a livelihood strategy in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
    L Mdiya, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 49 (3), 1-15 (21 citations, 2021)

  • Adoption drivers of improved open-pollinated (OPVs) maize varieties by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
    M Sigigaba, L Mdoda, A Mditshwa
    Sustainability (20 citations, 2021)

  • Profit efficiency in family-owned crop farms in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: A translog profit function approach
    N Mujuru, A Obi, S Mishi, L Mdoda
    Agriculture & Food Security 11 (20), 2-9 (18 citations, 2022)

  • Determinants of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies adoption by smallholder food crop farmers in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Free State
    A Makamane, J Van Niekerk, O Loki, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 51 (4), 52-74 (14 citations, 2023)

  • Use of information systems (Mobile phone app) for enhancing smallholder farmers’ productivity in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: Implications on food security
    L Mdoda, M Christian, I Agbugba
    Journal of the Knowledge Economy 15 (1), 1993-2009 (13 citations, 2024)

 

Ehsan Rahimi | Land use change | Best Researcher Award

Dr Ehsan Rahimi | Land use change | Best Researcher Award

Postdoc at Andong National University, South Korea

Ehsan Rahimi is a dedicated researcher specializing in [specific research focus]. With expertise in [key skills or achievements], he has contributed to [mention any significant publications, projects, or roles]. Fluent in Persian and English, he actively engages in academic and professional collaborations.

Profile:

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences (Land Use Planning)
    • Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
    • Period: September 2017 – December 2021
    • GPA: 18/20
    • Thesis: “Exploring forest ecosystem fragmentation effects on thresholds flow of pollination service”
    • Supervisors: Dr. Shahindokht Barghjelveh (Shahid Beheshti University), Dr. Pinliang Dong (University of North Texas, USA)
  • M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences (Land Use Planning)
    • Environment Faculty, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
    • Period: September 2013 – October 2015
    • GPA: 18.29/20
    • First Class Honor
    • Thesis: “A comparison of discrete and continuous approaches in measuring landscape fragmentation”
    • Supervisor: Dr. Abdolrassoul Salmanmahiny
  • B.Sc. in Natural Resources
    • Natural Resources Faculty, Behbahan University
    • Period: January 2009 – July 2013
    • GPA: 17.20/20

Professional Experience:

  • Postdoctoral Fellow in Pollination Ecology
    • Institution: Andong National University, South Korea
    • Period: July 2022 – Present

Research Interests:

  • Pollination Ecology
  • Landscape Fragmentation and Land Use Planning
  • Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in Ecology
  • Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystems
  • Biodiversity Conservation and Habitat Modeling

Professional Skills:

  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Remote Sensing (RS)
  • Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM)
  • Statistical Analysis (R, Python)
  • Scientific Writing and Publishing

Affiliations & Memberships:

  • Member, International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE)
  • Member, Society for Conservation Biology (SCB)
  • Member, Ecological Society of America (ESA)

Awards & Honors:

  • First Class Honor – M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University
  • Top Researcher – Shahid Beheshti University (2021)

Citations:

Citations: 281 (280 since 2020)
h-index: 9 (since 2020)
i10-index: 9 (since 2020)

Publication Top Notes:

1. A review of diversity of bees, the attractiveness of host plants, and the effects of landscape variables on bees in urban gardens
E. Rahimi, S. Barghjelveh, P. Dong
Agriculture & Food Security, 11(1), 6 (2022) – Citations: 40

2. How effective are artificial nests in attracting bees? A review
E. Rahimi, S. Barghjelveh, P. Dong
Journal of Ecology and Environment, 45, 1-11 (2021) – Citations: 28

3. Estimating potential range shift of some wild bees in response to climate change scenarios in northwestern regions of Iran
E. Rahimi, S. Barghjelveh, P. Dong
Journal of Ecology and Environment, 45, 1-13 (2021) – Citations: 25

4. Quantifying how urban landscape heterogeneity affects land surface temperature at multiple scales
E. Rahimi, S. Barghjelveh, P. Dong
Journal of Ecology and Environment, 45, 1-13 (2021) – Citations: 24

5. Using the Lonsdorf model for estimating habitat loss and fragmentation effects on pollination service
E. Rahimi, S. Barghjelveh, P. Dong
Ecological Processes, 10(1), 22 (2021) – Citations: 23

6. Estimating landscape structure effects on pollination for management of agricultural landscapes
E. Rahimi, S. Barghjelveh, P. Dong
Ecological Processes, 10, 1-12 (2021) – Citations: 22

7. Amount, distance-dependent, and structural effects of forest patches on bees in agricultural landscapes
E. Rahimi, S. Barghjelveh, P. Dong
Agriculture & Food Security, 11(1), 10 (2022) – Citations: 18

8. Global trends in climate suitability of bees: Ups and downs in a warming world
E. Rahimi, C. Jung
Insects, 15(2), 127 (2024) – Citations: 15

9. A comparison of discrete and continuous metrics for measuring landscape changes
E. Rahimi, S. Barghjelveh, P. Dong
Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 50(7), 1257-1273 (2022) – Citations: 12

10. Identifying barriers and pinch-points of large mammal corridors in Iran
E. Rahimi, P. Dong
Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 13(2), 285-297 (2023) – Citations: 9