Kumar Chandran named acting under secretary in Agriculture Department
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Kumar Chandran; photo credit: FoodCorps
Indian American nutrition advocacy and public service expert, Kumar Chandran has been named as Acting Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNCS) by the US Department of Agriculture.
Kumar has been critical to the Biden-Harris Administration’s health and nutrition initiatives since day one, according to a department press release. He served first on the Biden-Harris Transition as part of the USDA Agency Review team and then as a Senior Advisor for Nutrition Policy in the Office of the Secretary since the start of the Administration.
Kumar has extensive experience in nutrition advocacy and public service, including most recently leading the policy work of the national non-profit FoodCorps.
He was also Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services during the Obama Administration, and he has worked to fight hunger and improve nutrition through roles at Share Our Strength and California Food Policy Advocates (now Nourish California).
READ: Three Indian Americans lead Biden-Harris transition teams (November 12, 2020)
“By taking on this leadership role, Kumar will be able to apply his extensive experience from multiple organizations to help carry forward the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision for reducing hunger, improving nutrition, and giving all Americans, regardless of zip code or socio-economic status, the best chance at a good life,” the release stated.
Chandran has a BA in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley; MS in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tufts University; and a Master’s in Public Health, Health Policy from Tufts University School of Medicine.
As Acting Under Secretary, Kumar will serve with Stacy Dean, has served as Deputy Under Secretary for FNCS since January 2021.
President Joe Biden twice nominated Stacy Dean as Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, and, unfortunately, the Senate twice returned her nomination, the release noted.