Dr. Murukesan V. Krishnapillai is an agronomist and climate resilience expert with more than 35 years of professional experience across India, New Zealand, Sweden, Seychelles, and the Pacific Islands. He is a Professor and Research Scientist with the Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE) Program at the College of Micronesia-FSM, where he has served at the Yap Campus since 2002. His work centers on climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land management, and improving food and water security for remote island communities.

Dr. Krishnapillai was a Lead Author of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land and a Contributing Author to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. He also contributed to the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) 2023 Report. His research and publications cover diverse themes in climate adaptation, including the impacts of climate change on agriculture, biodiversity, mental health, and community resilience in small island developing states (SIDS).

He leads several climate-resilient agriculture initiatives, including the Italy-Pacific SIDS Climate Science Program and multiple USDA-funded research and extension projects. His earlier USAID-supported projects, such as Climate Adaptive Agriculture and Resilience (CAAR) and Adaptive Community Transformation on Yap (ACT on Yap), empowered displaced and vulnerable communities in the Federated States of Micronesia.

An award-winning presenter and Climate Reality Leader, Dr. Krishnapillai has received honors including the Australian Leadership Award Fellowship and the Prince & Princess of Wales Science Award from the Royal Society of New Zealand. He holds a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Baroda, India, a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Education and Management. He has served as a faculty member at the M.S. University of Baroda and as an environmental consultant in Seychelles.