Manjusri Misra
Manjusri Misra is an Indian-born Canadian professor and scientist. She is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Biocomposites at the University of Guelph's School of Engineering and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Plant Agriculture. Misra is also the lead scientist at U of G's Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada ; the American Institute of Chemical Engineers ; the Royal Society of Chemistry; the Society of Plastic Engineers, US; and the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Early life and education
Misra was born in Odisha, India, into a family of academics, to her father, Late Pandit Govinda Chandra Mishra, and her mother, Late Mrs. Suhasini Mishra. She received her High School from Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack and Bachelors degree from Shailabala Women's College. She completed her Master and PhD degrees from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack under Utkal University before completing her post-doctoral work in Fritz Huber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin, Germany.Career
Following her PhD, Misra was a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at various academic institutes under Utkal University. She was also a visiting adjunct professor at Michigan State University. While at Michigan State, Misra worked in in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science where she began her various research projects on "Sustainable Biobased and Biodegradable Composites and Green Nanocomposites for Automotives and Packaging Applications." She was also an editor of the CRC Press volume, "Natural Fibers, Biopolymers and Biocomposites," in 2005.Misra eventually joined the faculty of the School of Engineering and the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph in 2008. Upon joining the institution, Misra was appointed president of the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society and served as an editor for various journals. She also edited the American Scientific Publishers volume "Packaging Nanotechnology" in 2009. Following this, Misra received the Jim Hammar Memorial Award from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society and the 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Andrew Chase Division Award in Chemical Engineering as an individual with "significant chemical engineering contributions in the forest products and related industries." During her tenure at U of G, Misra co-directed the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre with her husband which aimed to produce bio-based, sustainable materials that lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the impact of plastics. In 2019, her efforts were recognized with the Synergy Award for Innovation from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
In December 2020, Misra was named a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Biocomposites. She was also recognized by the Women's Executive Networks as one of the Most Powerful Women for 2020. She was specifically recognized for being a "world leader in the development of novel bio-based composites and nanocomposites made from agricultural and forestry resources." The following year, Misra received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society for "outstanding contributions to advancing the field of biopolymers, bio-based composite materials." In 2024, Misra was recognized as one of the Global 50 Women in Sustainability under the theme "Embrace Boldness" by SustainabilityX® Magazine for demonstrating exceptional leadership in sustainability and driving transformative change across the globe.