Following the retirement of Manjit Misra from Iowa State University’s Seed Science Center (SSC), Lulu Rodriguez was named interim director of the SSC, effective April 28.
“It is a great pleasure to have Dr. Lulu Rodriguez serve in the capacity as interim director for the Seed Science Center. She does outstanding work for the center and has a terrific history of work here at Iowa State and elsewhere, which includes attention to the global issues and opportunities the center addresses and close collaboration with the scientists and industry that it serves,” said Daniel J. Robison, holder of the endowed dean’s chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State. “Following the departure of Dr. Manjit Misra from the SSC to lead USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, having Lulu in the leadership role sets up the center for continued, seamless success.”
Rodriguez has served as global programs lead for the SSC since 2019. Her previous duties included managing interdisciplinary funding proposals to support national, regional and international seed systems and programs. In addition, she’s widely recognized for her scholarly work related to food and agriculture, natural resources, renewable energy and communication of risk and science.
Prior to coming to the SSC in 2019, Rodriguez directed the agricultural communications program at the University of Illinois for six years. Before that, she was a faculty member in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State from 1993 to 2013, where she served as director of graduate education and head of the visual communications emphasis.
She holds a doctorate in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master’s degree of professional studies in communications from Cornell and a bachelor’s degree in development communications from the University of the Philippines.
“Dr. Misra’s exemplary leadership has made the center an acknowledged hub of excellence in seed science, technology, education and systems,” Rodriguez said. “I am honored to continue our goal of expanding farmers’ access to quality seeds and our legacy of service to the seed industry and the many partners and stakeholders we have within and outside the U.S. borders. We have a talented and dedicated team at the SSC that will ensure continuity, drive progress and enhance our operations as we pursue new opportunities.”
