At USDA, we harness the power of agricultural science to transform the world. To create a future that is more sustainable, prosperous and equitable for everyone. This requires a diverse scientific workforce that is driving innovation forward. Women voices and perspectives are a crucial part of this work.
Ahead of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, five women from across USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area who are breaking barriers in STEM, share details about their roles and give advice to young girls who will soon be shattering glass ceilings in science.
What do you do at USDA:
“Provide strategic coordination of the science that informs USDA’s and the Federal government's decisions, policies and regulations that impact high priority animal health agricultural issues and related landscapes and communities.”
Favorite part about working in STEM:
“Science nurtures your natural curiosity. Training in STEM develops your critical thinking and analytical skills that can support you in multiple areas of your life.”
What do you do at USDA:
“Collect and analyze agricultural data to provide timely, accurate and useful statistics to farmers and the public.”
Favorite part about working in STEM:
“My favorite part about working in STEM is the unlimited learning opportunity, which keeps my career engaging. I enjoy applying my statistical and programming skills towards providing relevant and unbiased products.”
What do you do at USDA:
“I serve as a Senior Advisor to the Economic Research Service (ERS) Administrator and help coordinate and guide the cross-agency research program. I also serve as the ERS Chief Data Officer.”
Favorite part about working in STEM:
“Economics is a social science that can help us understand human behavior, markets and policies. I enjoyed math and statistics in high school and college, but I also found people really interesting. Economics is the perfect blend of applying data and analytical principles to the decisions we make and how markets and economic systems work. For example, economics can help us understand how to design policies that can create incentives for farmers to adopt conservation practices or measure the benefits of reducing water pollution.”
What do you do at USDA:
“I oversee programs and the staff in the Global Climate Division, however, one of the important tasks managed by our group is collaborating with USDA agencies and with other U.S. government agencies to ensure that we meet the Department’s goals.”
Favorite part about working in STEM:
“The best part about working in STEM is that you have continuous opportunities to learn, as science is always making new discoveries.”
What do you do at USDA:
“Develop scientific strategies to improve the health of bee pollinators and sustain our agroecosystem and natural resources.”
Favorite part about working in STEM:
“Being in science research, I can follow my curiosity, ask questions, even seemingly simple ones such as ‘why do flowers change color’ and design experiments to find the answers. Working with people that are interested and excited by similar questions as I am is very engaging and fulfilling. Finding an explanation or a solution and probing deeper or finding the next interesting puzzle, is my favorite part of my work.”
