Manoj Kumar Mishra

Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra
Head, Department of Chemistry, IIT Bombay
In office 1985 – 2009
37th Vice-chancellor of the University of Lucknow
In office 21 October 2009 - 2 November 2012
Appointed by	Banwari Lal Joshi, Governor of Uttar Pradesh
Preceded by	Upendra Nath Dwivedi
Succeeded by	Gopabandhu Patnaik
Vice-chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
In office 22 November 2013
Personal details
Born	(1952-10-15) 15 October 1952 Begusarai, Bihar, India
Spouse	Meena Mishra
Children	Sheetanshu Kumar Mishra
Alma mater	St. Xavier's College, Ranchi ; IIT Delhi; University of Florida

Manoj Kumar Mishra (born 15 October 1952) is a renowned Indian academic and researcher, recognized for his significant contributions to quantum chemistry. He completed his education at prestigious institutions, including St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi, IIT Delhi, and the University of Florida, USA, where he earned his Ph.D. in quantum theory. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University. Throughout his career, Prof. Mishra has held key academic positions, including Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University (2009-2012) and has served in leadership roles at IIT Bombay. He is a recipient of prestigious awards such as the M.N. Saha Award for Theoretical Sciences and the S.C. Bhattacharya Award for Excellence in Pure Sciences.

Early life and education

Manoj Kumar Mishra was an All India Merit Scholar at the Modern School, New Delhi. His academic excellence began early, earning him a B.Sc. (Chemistry Honours) degree from St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi with first class in 1972 and second rank at Ranchi University. He then pursued an M.Sc. at IIT Delhi in 1974, where he graduated as a top performer, securing first class first honors, and received a certificate of merit and national scholarship from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Later, he completed his Ph.D. in quantum theory from University of Florida, Gainesville, US, in 1981 and was elected a fellow of Phi Beta Kappa, one of the most prestigious academic honor societies in the United States.

Academic and teaching career

Mishra began his career in academia after a postdoctoral research associateship at Princeton University, USA. He joined the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay as a faculty member, where he spent 27 years in various capacities, including head of the Department of Chemistry and chairman of the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) From June 2008 toJuly 2009. He served as the vice chancellor of University of Lucknow, from 21 October 2009 to 2 November 2012, making significant contributions to the institution. Since November 22, 2013, he has been the vice chancellor of BIT Mesra, Ranchi.

Career and research contributions

Mishra has been recognized globally for his work in quantum chemistry. He has served as a member of the editorial advisory board of leading international journals, such as Advances in Quantum Chemistry and the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, where he was also an associate editor for three years. His research contributions have earned him accolades such as the M.N. Saha Award for Theoretical Sciences, the S.C. Bhattacharya Award for Excellence in Pure Sciences, and the US-India Professorship from the American Institute of Physics.

He has held several visiting professor and scientist roles at renowned universities in the US and Europe and has been part of national committees under the Government of India.

Legacy

Mishra has left a lasting impact on the institutions he has been associated with, most notably IIT Bombay, Lucknow University, and BIT Mesra. His leadership has been instrumental in steering academic growth and excellence at these institutions. He is also a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1999. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, India, in 2011 during his tenure as vice-chancellor of Lucknow University, signifying his stature in the Indian scientific community.

In addition to his academic achievements, Mishra has served on various prestigious boards, such as the board of governors of IIM Lucknow, the Senate of IIT Kanpur, the board of governors of Birla Institute of Applied Sciences, Bhimtal, and the Indian Institute of Coal Management, Ranchi.