Yanqi Wu is a regents professor in grass breeding and genetics and holds the Meibergen Family Professorship in Plant Breeding. His current research is focused on the development of new cultivars, and genetic and genomic research on important agronomic traits in bermudagrass used for turf and forage, and switchgrass for bioenergy. Dr. Wu completed a two-year (2004-2006) postdoctoral research with USDA-ARS Plant Science Research Laboratory, Stillwater, Oklahoma. He received his PhD in Crop Science (Grass Breeding and Genetics) from Oklahoma State University in 2004. Prior to coming to the US, he held a faculty position at Sichuan Agricultural University in China from 1988 to 2000, with research and teaching responsibilities in Forage and Turfgrass Sciences. 

His major honors and awards

1.  2025 fellow of Crop Science Society of America.

2. The Crop Science Society of America, 2020 C5 Turfgrass Division Graduate Student Oral Competition 2nd place award to Shuhao Yu, for whom I served as major advisor.
3. The Crop Science Society of America, 2019 Society-wide Student Competition 1st place award to Ryan Schlobohm, for whom I served as major advisor, November 13, San Antonio, TX.
4. The Crop Science Society of America, 2019 C6 Forage Division Graduate Student Oral Competition 1st place award to Ryan Schlobohm, for whom I served as major advisor, November 13, San Antonio, TX.
5. The Association of Chinese Soil and Plant Scientists in North America, 2019 Excellent Graduate Student Award to Shuhao Yu, for whom I served as major advisor, November 11, San Antonio, TX.
6. The Crop Science Society of America, 2019 Undergraduate Student Crop Science Category 3rd place poster award to Carly Godwin, for whom I served as major advisor, November 13, San Antonio, TX.
7. 2018 Breeder's Cup Award presented to Dr. Yanqi Wu and Dr. Charles Taliaferro and 'Latitude 36' bermudagrass by Turfgrass Breeders Association, at the ASA-CSSA C5 annual meeting, Nov 07, Baltimore, MD. The Breeder's Cup is awarded to the turfgrass breeder and the cultivar (together) that best exemplify originality in the development of a turfgrass cultivar.
8. 2017 Tengtou Agricultural Science Award of American Society of Agronomy. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA International Annual Meetings. Oct 22-26, Tampa, FL.
9. 2017 Sarkeys Distinguished Professor Award of Oklahoma State University, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, September 29, 2017.
10. 2015 Patent award for 'Latitude 36' turf bermudagrass. US Patent NO: PP24271 P3. Oklahoma State University. 
11. 2014 Recognition for Proprietary Technologies. 'NorthBridge' turf bermudagrass. US Patent NO: PP24116 P3. Oklahoma State University. 
12. 2013 Recognition for Proprietary Technologies. 'Cimarron' switchgrass. U.S. Patent No.: 8,278,500 B2. Oklahoma State University. 
13. 2012 Recognition for Proprietary Technologies. Licensing of Production Rights Associated with 'Latitude 36' bermudagrass. Oklahoma State University Office of Intellectual Property Rights. 
14. 2012 Recognition for Proprietary Technologies. Licensing of Production Rights Associated with 'NorthBridge' bermudagrass. Oklahoma State University Office of Intellectual Property Rights. 
15. 2011 OSU DASNR James A. Whatley Award of Meritorious Research.
16. 2011 USDA NIFA Partnership Award.
17. 2010 Early Career Scientist Award of the US National Plant Breeders Association.
18. 2010 American Society of Agronomy A04 Education Materials Award of Excellence Certificates for Switchgrass Production Guide for Oklahoma. 
19. 2010 Recognitions for Proprietary Technologies. Licensing of Production Rights Associated with 'Goodwell' bermudagrass and 'Cimarron' switchgrass. Oklahoma State University Office of Intellectual Property Rights. Co-Inventors.
20. 2008 Inventor Recognition Award of Oklahoma State University.
21. 2003 Second Place Award in the graduate student poster competition of the C5 Division (Turfgrass Science) of the Crop Science Society of America.
22. 2003 Dale Weibel Memorial Graduate Scholarship of Plant and Soil Science Department, Oklahoma State University.