Rob Bertram
Chief Scientist, Bureau for Food Security, U.S. Agency for International Development
Rob Bertram is the Chief Scientist in USAID’s Bureau for Food Security, where he serves as a key adviser on a range of technical and program issues to advance global food security and nutrition. In this role, he leads USAID’s evidence-based efforts to advance research, technology and implementation in support of the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future.
He previously served as Director of the Office of Agricultural Research and Policy in the Bureau for Food Security. Prior to that, he guided USAID investments in agriculture and natural resources research for many years.
Dr. Bertram’s academic background in plant breeding and genetics includes degrees from University of California, Davis, the University of Minnesota and the University of Maryland. He also studied international affairs at Georgetown University and was a visiting scientist at Washington University in St. Louis.
Before coming to USAID, he served with USDA's international programs as well as overseas with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system.