Chavonda Jacobs-Young

Chavonda Jacobs-Young
Alma mater
Employer

Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young serves as the Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Research Service.[1] The Agricultural Research Service is the USDA's chief, in-house scientific research agency. Dr. Jacobs-Young has been the administrator since February 2014.[2] In 1998 Jacobs-Young became the first African-American to earn a Ph.D in paper science.[3]

Early life and education

Dr. Jacobs-Young is a native of Augusta, Georgia. She graduated from Hephzibah High School in 1985.[4] During high school and her time at North Carolina State University, she participated in the high jump event and was a three time Atlantic Coast Conference champion.[3][4] Dr. Jacobs-Young earned a B.S. in paper science and engineering (1989, NC State) and an M.S. in wood and paper science (1992, NC State). Then in 1998, she earned her Ph.D in paper science from North Carolina State University.[1][4] In 2008 Dr. Jacobs-Young received an Executive Leadership Certificate in Public Policy Implementation from American University in Washington, D.C.[3]

Professional life

After completion of her Ph.D, she was a consultant for Weyerhaeuser and then worked as an Assistant Professor of Paper Science and Engineering at the University of Washington from 1995 until 2002.[5] In 2002, Dr. Jacobs-Young was approached about joining the government.[3] She saw an opportunity to learn about federal service and took a job as a National Program Leader in the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Eventually she served as the senior policy analyst for agriculture in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this capacity she supported the President's science advisor and others within the Executive Office of the President on a variety of agricultural science activities. She worked across the Federal Government to improve interagency cooperation and collaboration on high-priority scientific issues.[6] When she returned full time to USDA, Dr. Jacobs-Young served as the Director of the newly formed USDA Office of the Chief Scientist. There, she facilitated the coordination of scientific leadership across the Department and ensured the highest standards of intellectual rigor and scientific integrity for the research being disseminated from the department.[1] Dr. Jacobs-Young then served as the acting director for the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture before joining the Agricultural Research Service in 2012 as Associate Administrator for Research Programs.[2] She is also a member of the United States Senior Executive Service.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Interview: Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, and Mojdeh Bahar, Assistant Administrator for Technology Transfer - World Agriculture Network". World Agriculture Network. 2017-05-23. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  2. 1 2 "Biographical Sketch of the Administrator's Office : USDA ARS". ars.usda.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Fox, Tom (2017-06-06). "This USDA administrator's leadership style?: 'Good or bad, I'm authentic'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  4. 1 2 3 "Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service: Who Is Chavonda Jacobs-Young?". AllGov. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  5. 1 2 "Chavonda Jacobs-Young, United States Agricultural Research Service: Profile & Biography". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  6. ↑ "Biographical Sketch of the Administrator's Office : USDA ARS". ars.usda.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
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