ISU’s Seed Science Center is considered a national and international leader in seed research and technology, and because of Misra’s outstanding leadership it is today also home of the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Seed Health System (NSHS). The NSHS is responsible for providing specific standards for laboratory seed health tests and seed crop field inspections that are used at the federal level and in establishing export regulations. Because of his extensive knowledge about Iowa agriculture and his unbiased approach to research, Misra has also been named director of the Institute for Food Safety and Security and the Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products. These programs have a direct and vital impact on the global food chain, consumer safety, and the environment. A native of Orissa, India, who earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Missouri, Misra came to Iowa State in 1979 as an assistant professor and was named director of the Seed Science Center in 1991.