Dr. Robert Wisner was born and raised on a grain and livestock farm in southeastern Michigan. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in agricultural economics at Michigan State University, while working as a research assistant in grain price analysis. After obtaining a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Tennessee, Dr. Wisner joined the Economics staff at Iowa State University as an Extension Grain Marketing specialist in 1967. He also is University Professor of Economics at Iowa State and teaches a class on grain marketing.

In addition to his regular responsibilities at Iowa State, Dr. Wisner has served on short-term foreign assignments in eastern and western Europe, Canada, Japan, Brazil, China, Trinidad, Turkey, and Argentina. He has served as a senior economist with the U.S. Cost of Living Council, as a visiting professor at the University of Nebraska Agricultural Marketing Center, and as a Big 12 Fellow at Texas A&M University. Dr. Wisner has authored more than 1,435 publications on grain marketing, international trade in farm products, agricultural risk management, farm policy, and the grain market outlook.

In addition to his other responsibilities, Dr. Wisner for 10 years authored an annual report on world food trade and U.S. agricultural exports published by the World Food Institute and the Midwest Agribusiness Trade Research and Information Center at Iowa State University, which was used in more than 65 countries. He is co-editor and contributing editor of three books on marketing for farmers. 

Professor Wisner’s work has appeared in such prestigious publications as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, New York Times, Guardian (Manchester, UK), Malaysia News Service, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, London's Economist and Financial Times, Tokyo Futures Tribune, Associated Press, Reuter News Service, Oster Dow Jones News Service, Bridge News Service, and Bloomberg Business News. Professor Wisner’s analyses also have been used by the British Broadcasting Company, Canadian Broadcasting Company, Voice of America, National Public Radio, CBS, and NBC Television. His work has appeared throughout the North American Grain Belt in major farm publications, electronic media, and farm radio broadcasts.

Dr. Wisner has received an unprecedented 10 outstanding economic forecasting awards from the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA), as well as an award as co-director of the AAEA outstanding extension program for 2000 and Outstanding Individual Extension Program Award in 2002. In 1995, he received ISU Extension’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Award. In 1997, Dr. Wisner was promoted from full professor to University Professor at Iowa State University.