Summary\r\nMudlappa Jayananda has obtained BSc (1980) from Bangalore University, MSc (1982) and MPhil (1985) degrees from the same University. His PhD degree was sandwich program between Bangalore University and Oxford Polytechnic (now Oxford Brookes University) and PhD degree awarded in 1989 for his work on Closepet granite addressing Neoarchean magmatism, continental growth and reworking. He has worked as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor from 1994-2009 at Bangalore University. During this period, he has developed major international collaborative science programs with French funded by French CNRS-INSU followed by French IRD, CEFIPRA and Japanese groups funded by JSPS (Japan). These collaborative programs addressed early Earth dynamics, continental growth and redox conditions of Archean surface environments based on multidisciplinary research on large crustal corridor in the Dharwar craton, southern India. He has spent several years in France during 1991- 2005 mainly working with Jean-Jacques Peucat, Herve Martin, Jean-Francos Moyen and Dominique Chardon in France on radiogenic isotopes and tectonic fabrics analyses of Archean rocks of Dharwar craton. In Japan he has worked with Takashi Kano (Yamaguchi University) and T. Miyazaki (JAMSTEC) during 1999-2007. He shifted to University of Delhi as a Full Professor during 2010 and diversified research and initiated new programs on interplay of tectonics, climate and denudation in development of high elevation escarpment of Western Ghats. Subsequently he has moved to University of Hyderabad in 2014 and currently he is working as a Professor at Centre for Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences.\r\nAcademic and Research accomplishments\r\nHis novel multidisciplinary approach involving tectonic fabric mapping, elemental and isotope tracers on the Dharwar craton has significant global impact in understanding origin of habitable continents, evolving tectonics, redox evolution of oceans, oxygenation of oceans and atmosphere, emergence of biosphere and economic resources. Prof. Jayananda research on komatiites from the Dharwar craton provide important new insights in understanding thermal, chemical and tectonic evolution of the Archean mantle. His integrated research on the granite-greenstone assemblages shown a transition from dominantly vertical accretion with gravity driven processes prior to 3200 Ma and initiation of horizontal motion of tectonic plates and arc accretion after 3200 Ma. He has shown secular changes in elemental compositions of Archean rocks from komatiites to basalts and TTGs through Transitional TTGs to sanukitoids linked to evolving petrogenetic and geodynamic processes from plume to arc volcanism as well as arc crust melting to direct mantle melting through ca.3600-2500 Ma. His research on the origin of Archean granitoids have profound impact in understanding transient tectonics of the Archean Earth, fluid transfer, gold mineralization and craton formation. He has also contributed towards understanding Cenozoic surface dynamics, interplay of climate, tectonics and denudation in maintenance of high elevation escarpment ‘Western Ghats’ and development of drainage patterns of rivers. He has mentored 10 PhD and 3 Post-doc fellows in the field of Archean crustal evolution and Cenozoic surface dynamics.\r\nOther contributions\r\nHe has served in various scientific committees in IUGS, DST/CSIR, and Member in RAC /Governing body of National Institutes. In recognition of his research accomplishments and competence in editing journals, he was appointed as Editor-in-Chief of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) flagship journal \'Episodes\' and as a member of the Executive Committee of IUGS. Prof. Jayananda has served as Editor in-Chief of IUGS flagship journal ‘Episodes’ and Himalayan Geology, Regional Editor/Member of Editorial Board of Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, Journal of Earth System Sciences, Journal of Geological Society of India. He has also participated as Leader/Co-Leader in international science projects funded by UNESCO-IGCP, IFCPAR/CEFIPRA and JSPS. Prof. Jayananda has organized several memorable international symposia, field workshops and group discussion meetings which led to several international scientific collaborations.\r\nAwards and Honours\r\nIn recognition of his research contributions on early Earth dynamics and origin of protocontinents he has been conferred Sir C.V. Raman Young Scientist Award (1999) of Karnataka State, National Mineral Award (2000) of Ministry of Mines, H.H. Read Gold Medal (2009), M.R. Srinivasa Rao Award (2000), Bellur Rama Rao Award (2007) JGSI Radhakrishna Prize (2004,2010) of Geological Society of India. He has been awarded JSPS Fellowship 2009, elected to the Fellowship of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (2013) and National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad (2017).\r\n