1 / 3 | Stacey Dean, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, will serve as the first director of the Global Food Institute at George Washington University. Photo courtesy of the Global Food Institute at George Washington University
June 19 (UPI) — Stacey Dean, U.S. Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will become the first director of the World Food Institute at George Washington University.
The position at the private Washington university, which is also supported by celebrity chef, author and activist Jose Andres, was officially confirmed on Thursday.
Andres is co-founder of GFI, which is “dedicated to addressing world food challenges through interdisciplinary research and education across the pillars of policy, innovation and humanity.”
Dean was appointed assistant secretary in 2021 and has led the department’s food and nutrition policy and programs. During his tenure, he “frequently issued reports on how federal nutrition programs are impacting families and communities and developed recommendations for improvement,” according to his department biography.
Dean, a University of Michigan graduate who spent 30 years as a policy maker in the food science world, will be tasked with advancing the institute’s mission to change the world through the power of food.
“I am honored to join the World Food Institute at this critical time,” Dean said in a statement Thursday.
“Together, we will pave the way for innovative solutions to food insecurity, malnutrition, climate change and the many global challenges we face. Our joint efforts will make the aspirations for a more equitable and sustainable food system a reality.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack praised Dean’s work at the USDA.
“Under Stacey Dean’s leadership, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has been innovative and forward-thinking in its efforts to increase nutrition security and get healthy food on dinner tables and in school lunchrooms across the nation, resulting in some of the most significant milestones in food and nutrition in decades,” Visak said in a GFI statement.
“Stacey’s work enriches American families and will continue to do so in her new role.”
Andrés has been involved in the global fight against food insecurity around the world for several years, and has made it his life’s work. The 54-year-old from Spain founded the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen in 2010, and has responded to numerous natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
In March, Andres testified before senators at a congressional briefing about food aid to Gaza, Haiti and Ukraine.
The session focused on WCK’s global efforts to deliver food to areas where systems have collapsed due to war and natural disasters.
“The enormity of the challenges facing the global food system calls for a passionate leader like Stacey, who has a deep understanding of the issues and the drive to effect change,” Andres said in a statement Thursday.
“I am excited to work with her (the dean) as we usher in a new era of impact for the Institute.”
