Dr. Jaye L. Hamby is the director of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the extramural funding agency in the USDA Research, Education and Economics Mission Area.
Prior to joining NIFA, Dr. Hamby led and directed hundreds of proprietary research efforts, specializing in concept testing, product marketing, value driver analysis, and farm demographic trends. His consultative expertise includes the agronomy, livestock, and farm machinery markets. He has assisted with the launch of numerous crop protection products and authored field sales and competitive positioning manuals.
Dr. Hamby, a Tennessee native, graduated from the University of Tennessee’s College of Agriculture with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education. Following his selection as a Harry S. Truman Scholar, he attended Oklahoma State University and earned master’s and doctoral degrees in agricultural education with a specialization in agricultural economics. He was an active 4-H’er and a national FFA officer.
Dr. Jaye L. Hamby was appointed as the USDA NIFA Director on March 20, 2025.