Captain Nazmul Hassan and the FDA Import Shield Program (FISP) team are being honored as the Rising Star of the Year for transforming how the FDA monitors imported products and protects the public from potentially dangerous goods. Under Captain Naz’s leadership, the program modernized and centralized import review operations, creating a faster, more consistent approach to evaluating products entering the United States.

 

In just four months, FISP achieved a 66% increase in processing speed and a 33% increase in monthly capacity, while supporting approximately 75 million admissibility decisions this year. Captain Naz also led the consolidation of five regional teams into one unified operation, closing oversight gaps across U.S. ports of entry and ensuring risks identified at one location can inform decisions nationwide.

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The modernization saves approximately 3,388 staff hours each month, allowing investigators to focus their expertise on higher-risk products and complex cases. For the public, faster and more consistent screening helps prevent counterfeit medicines, contaminated food, and other unsafe products from reaching consumers while accelerating the movement of safe, essential goods. By combining technology, centralized oversight, and specialized expertise, Captain Naz is strengthening public health protection while creating a more efficient and resilient FDA workforce.