A Registered Professional Geologist, Dr Shamshuddin Jusop graduated from the University of Malaya (BS), Newcastle University, UK (MS) and Ghent University, Belgium (DSc). He was a former Professor of Soil Science (1972-2015) and Senior Research Fellow in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang, Malaysia (2015-2020). A leading pedologist not only in Malaysia, but also Southeast Asia, his research contribution helps improve crop growth and sustains its production (rice, maize, cocoa, oil palm and rubber). He sits in the editorial board of many international and Malaysian journals (e.g. Geoderma and Malaysian Journal of Soil Science, respectively). He is a Fellow and the Past President of the Malaysian Society of Soil Science. He was also the Past President of the East and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil Science Societies. He is an Honorary Member (corresponding), Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences (ROAS) and a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (FASc). He has been recognized as one of the Top Research Scientists Malaysia by the Malaysian Academy. He was conferred the S&T Award by the Malaysia Toray Science Foundation (MTSF) for his landmark contribution to the increased rice production on the infertile acid sulfate soils in Malaysia.