A PhD student from SKUAST-K Ms. Uzma Gulzar (PhD Fruit Sciences) has been selected for the prestigious SERB Overseas Doctoral Fellowship (OVDF) to conduct research on image based phenological assessment in strawberry at Purdue University USA. The fellowship is a highly competitive one with a two-tier screening at SERB and Purdue University and during the 2024 cohort only 25 candidates were selected from more than 200 applicants. She is the first scholar from SKUAST-K to fetch this fellowship. At Purdue, she will use advanced digital technologies to monitor the phenological stages of strawberry for developing a decision support system for strawberry farmers. Prof. Nazir A Ganai, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K congratulated the student for this outstanding achievement and hoped that this will inspire other students to get various overseas opportunities for higher studies and short tern fellowships. He also complimented the Dr Nowsheen Nazir mentor of the student for guiding her develop a competitive proposal for securing this fellowship. It is Pertinent to mention that she is the 3rd SKUAST-K student to get an overseas opportunity in 2024.