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The selection of Dr. Jeff Silverstein as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Associate Administrator for National Programs has been announced. Dr. Silverstein will assume his new role effective December 1, 2024. In this position, Dr. Silverstein will oversee the leadership and coordination of more than 600 research projects conducted throughout ARS.

Dr. Silverstein began his career with USDA and ARS in 1997 as a geneticist and breeder with the catfish aquaculture program in Stoneville, Mississippi. In 2007, he transitioned to the Office of National Programs as the National Program Leader for Aquaculture and later joined the Southeast Area in 2015 as the Associate Area Director. Since October 2016, he has served as the Deputy Administrator for Animal Production and Protection (APP) in the Office of National Programs. In his role as Deputy Administrator for APP, he has collaborated with national program leaders to guide the programs and priorities of four National Programs: Animal Production; Animal Health; Veterinary, Medical and Urban Entomology; and Aquaculture. His work spans fields such as biotechnology and genetics, One Health, animal and public health, antimicrobial resistance/alternatives to antibiotics, and zoonotic and emerging disease concerns. Dr. Silverstein also played a significant role in initiating the ARS Grand Challenge-Synergies program and ARSX, the breakthrough innovation platform.

Throughout his career, Dr. Silverstein has collaborated with leading scientists from ARS and internationally. He has served as co-chair of the Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network (BSL4ZNet), a member of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Transboundary Animal Disease Threats working group, and the OSTP Subcommittee on Aquaculture. He is part of the leadership team for the development and scientific programming of the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, and has led the ARS response to highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Thanks are extended to Drs. Jeff Silverstein, Marlen Eve, Nora Lapitan, and Pamela Starke-Reed for their service as Acting Associate Administrator for National Programs throughout 2024.