Featured Speaker

Dr. Chester serves as the Director of the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) where she leads OCS in delivering science and research that undergirds the policies and practices of the USDA.  Prior to this role, Dr. Chester was with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) were she served as the Division Director for the Division of Nutrition and has served as the National Program Leader for NIFA’s Applied Nutrition Research in the Division of Nutrition. Dr. Chester is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. She has spoken both nationally and internationally on nutrition topics and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Obesity and Chronic Disease.  Dr. Chester holds a Ph.D. in Nutrition from Florida International University, where she was awarded the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship and was in the inaugural class of the Gates Millennial Scholars. Dr. Chester is the recipient of The Mary C. Egan Award from The American Public Health Association Food and Nutrition Section, and was recognized by Florida State University’s College of Human Science with the Circle of Excellence Alumni Award.