North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering has entered a new era of leadership with the appointment of Veena Misra, a distinguished Indian American scholar and veteran academic administrator, as interim dean.
Before assuming her role as the top executive of one of the nation’s leading engineering programs on May 11, Misra served as the head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, a position she was named to in 2024.
Her connection to the university spans several decades, representing a journey from a student to an influential faculty member. Misra is a three-time graduate of the institution, having earned her bachelor’s degree in 1991, followed by a master’s degree in 1992, and a doctorate in 1995, all specializing in electrical engineering.
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Following her doctoral studies, she initially worked in the private sector at the Advanced Products Research and Development Laboratories at Motorola Inc. in Austin, Texas.
However, she returned to NC State in 1998, formally joining the engineering faculty. Her career reflects the professional milestones common among prominent Indian American scholars who have forged highly successful academic paths in the United States after establishing deep roots in higher education.
Throughout her tenure, Misra has advanced in the field of electrical engineering by focusing on technologies that connect research to real-world applications. She serves as the M.C. Dean Distinguished University Professor and is the founding director and lead principal investigator of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Center on Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST).
Since its founding in 2012, ASSIST has pioneered wearable, self-powered health and environmental monitoring systems while building an interdisciplinary research community and industry partnership ecosystem.
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Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden praised Misra as an accomplished scholar whose career embodies the institution’s core strengths in research, innovation, and service.
Misra’s career has earned her prestigious accolades, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, an NSF CAREER Award, the NSF Award for Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education, and the university’s Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence.
Beyond campus, her leadership extends to national advisory boards, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Microsystems Exploratory Council and the board of the NSF Directorate for Engineering Advisory Committee.
As she takes on this interim deanship, Misra continues to balance high-impact research with a steadfast commitment to institutional growth.