AMES, Iowa – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has named Manjit K. Misra as its new director. USDA announced the appointment today (Monday, April 24). Misra will assume his new role on May 8, 2023, with a swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said “Dr. Misra is an esteemed scientist and educator whose devotion to studying and sharing his knowledge of seeds with the world will benefit society and inspire generations to come. I am confident he will bring strong leadership and expertise to USDA as we continue our work to invest in and grow initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of agriculture and food systems.”

As he takes on this national leadership position, Misra will retire from Iowa State University after a nearly 45-year career as a faculty member in agricultural and biosystems engineering and 32 years as director of the university’s Seed Science Center. Misra joined Iowa State in 1979 to initiate a seed extension program and in 1991, became director of the Seed Science Center. Since then, the SSC has grown from a campus unit that served local needs, to a globally recognized center of excellence with approximately 190 affiliated faculty, staff and graduate students conducting programs in 79 countries.

Manjit Misra

The center operates the largest, most comprehensive public seed laboratory in the world, testing samples from 300 seed species annually and for 350 pathogens. In 2001, the USDA designated the SSC as administrator of the National Seed Health System, charged with ensuring that seeds exported from the U.S. are disease-free. The center also houses the Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products, which Misra founded in 2003 to provide unbiased information on biosafety issues for genetically modified agricultural products.

As a researcher, Misra is the principal or co-investigator in numerous externally funded research projects, the author or co-author of 137 publications and an innovator with 10 technology patents. As an educator, Misra has made a significant impact on supporting and mentoring future seed industry leaders. This includes his leadership to develop Iowa State’s Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business, launched in 2007. Delivered globally via distance education, the program has had students from 21 states and 14 countries. Misra grew up near the Bay of Bengal in India, where he helped oversee rice and sugarcane harvesting on his family’s sharecrop operation.

An interim director for the Seed Science Center will be named soon, with a search to follow.