Dr. Kate
Sixt serves as the Executive Director of the Office of the Chief Scientist at
the USDA, where she supports the Chief Scientist in coordinating and advancing
the Department’s high-priority science issues.
She also supports the Chief Scientist in building partnerships within the scientific community and developing and implementing research security and scientific integrity policies. The Office of the Chief Scientist advises on the implementation of the Department’s research priorities, including agricultural systems and technology; precision nutrition and food quality and safety; agricultural economics to enhance farmer profitability; and expanding domestic markets for plant and animal products. This work supports innovation, agricultural productivity, and rural prosperity for America’s farmers, ranchers, and foresters.
Prior to
joining USDA, Dr. Sixt served as the Principal Director for Biotechnology in
the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. In this
capacity, Dr. Sixt led the Department of War’s research and engineering efforts
to advance military capabilities through biotechnology innovation and maintain
a competitive advantage in biotechnology. Dr. Sixt also spent over a decade at
the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia, focusing on
national security research, where she served as the Assistant Director of the
Strategy, Forces, and Resources Division.
Dr. Sixt
holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology from the Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, a master’s in law from the
Geneva Academy in Geneva, Switzerland, and a bachelor’s in biochemistry from
St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York. She is an adjunct
professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in
Washington, D.C.