Current Position: Deputy Director for Data Development in the Food Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Brief Bio:Alisha joined USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) in 2009 and became Deputy Director for Data Development in 2023. Alisha previously served as the team leader for U.S. food security research and data at ERS. Her work has focused on researching the measurement and correlates of food insecurity as well as activities related to the development of food security data. Her publications include USDA’s annual Household Food Security in the United States report, ERS research reports, and published journal articles on food security. Before joining ERS, her research as a graduate student at Penn State broadly encompassed the well-being of rural families. She also served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer in Tompkins County, NY, where she helped to coordinate services to rural food pantries.
Penn State’s Demography Program: The program provided training in quantitative survey research methods that is essential for my research. PRI and Demography’s monetary support for students to attend conferences enabled me to begin presenting my research early in my career.
Website: https://www.ers.usda.gov/authors/ers-staff-directory/alisha-coleman-jensen/
Return to the Rural Sociology Alumni page