Ames, Iowa, USA
May 29, 2025
Scott Heuchelin
AMES, Iowa – Scott Heuchelin has spent a career working with seeds and crops, including the last several years specifically ensuring that seeds moved throughout the world are free of disease. Now, he’s returning to his alma mater to serve as the next director of Iowa State University’s Seed Science Center and a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology.
Heuchelin will begin in this role on July 15, 2025. The Seed Science Center is housed within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
“It is exciting to have Dr. Scott Heuchelin join us this summer as professor and director of the Seed Science Center! His deep experience in industry, leadership and translating research into practice will serve the Center and its stakeholders well and enable it to move forward,” said Daniel J. Robison, endowed dean’s chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Great thanks to Dr. Steve Harris for his service as interim director of the Center, and before him, Dr. Lulu Rodriquez, who also served as interim director, following the departure of Dr. Manjit Misra, who, for 32 years, built up and guided the Center to unprecedented success and impact. This new generation of leadership will build on that terrific legacy to sustain and advance the Center’s relevance, impact and excellence!”
No stranger to campus, Heuchelin earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in plant pathology from Iowa State. His bachelor’s degree in biology was obtained from the University of Northern Iowa.
After serving as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Wisconsin, Heuchelin joined Iowa State’s Department of Agronomy in 1998 as an assistant scientist, then became an assistant professor in 1999.
Heuchelin has spent the past 22 years with Corteva Agriscience (formerly DuPont Pioneer), working as a plant pathologist in the plant breeding organization. Currently, he is the senior scientist – global phytosanitary risk mitigation lead. His global regulatory and seed advocacy experience has involved working with scientists, government officials and international seed associations to deal with disease issues of seeds and drafting quarantine, seed testing and inspection policies for the global seed sector.
“I am thrilled to join the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as the director of the Seed Science Center. As an alumnus and former faculty member of the college, it is great to again be able to contribute to the college’s mission of education and service,” Heuchelin said. “The Seed Science Center has a great history of providing education, training and needed testing services to the global seed community, and helping expand and enhance those services will be a rewarding endeavor. I look forward to using my 22 years of seed industry experience in product development, seed health and seed sector advocacy to help the Center better serve its stakeholders in the agricultural community.”
Heuchelin also serves as an affiliate faculty member of Iowa State’s Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology. Steve Harris, chair of the PPEM department, said Heuchlin’s affiliate role has made him aware of the broader academic mission of the Seed Science Center and the department.
“Scott brings a wealth of seed industry experience to this position, which will be important in making sure the Center is responsive to industry needs. At the same time, he has a terrific record of international engagement with agency and industry partners that will help to sustain and build the Center’s global activities,” Harris said. “I look forward to Scott’s leadership of the Center as it moves into the next phase of its storied history.”
The Seed Science Center is recognized as a global center of excellence in seed science, technology and systems. It engages more than 190 faculty, affiliated faculty, staff and students in cutting-edge research, education, training and global programs. The Center operates the world’s largest, most comprehensive public seed laboratory, testing seed samples from 300 species, including for 350 pathogens. Since 2001, the Center has administered the National Seed Health System, which ensures seeds exported from the U.S. are disease-free.
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