About
Dr. Gyami Shrestha is a USDA NIFA National Program Leader (NPL) based in Northern Virginia. In a related role, Dr. Shrestha previously spearheaded the interagency U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office at the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) in Washington, D.C. for 11 years. Working with 12+ government agencies of the Carbon Cycle Interagency Group (CCIWG), including USDA NIFA, and other partners across all sectors, she catalyzed interagency and community science products and collaborations such as the first Interagency Carbon Dioxide Removal Coordination (I-CDR-C) Strategy Group; the first federal multiagency CDR database; the decadal USGCRP State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2) with Mexico and Canada; and the first U.S. Carbon Program and North American Carbon Program Leadership (NACP) Award Program to support the public engagement of disadvantaged, underrepresented and/or early career scientists, students and practitioners.
With multidisciplinary roles in academia, non-profit and private sectors in the last 20 years, Dr. Shrestha led, advised and/or co-authored over 100 influential publications, strategic planning documents, projects and public engagement opportunities for and with U.S. and international partners. She began her professional journey in Nepal, assessing the feasibility and impacts of renewable energy and water technologies, and helping to launch national and regional gender mainstreaming initiatives. Her early academic research focused on rainwater harvesting, soil carbon sequestration, biochar, forest fires, air quality, climate change policies and STEM immigrants.
Dr. Shrestha also serves as Chair of the NACP’s Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)/GHG Removal Work Group and Editor of the Journal of Weather, Climate & Society at the American Meteorological Society (AMS). After earning PhD and MS degrees from the University of California Merced and University of Wyoming respectively, she acquired program management and organizational leadership certificates from Georgetown University, Harvard University and the Asian Americans in Government Network (AAGEN) Senior Executives Development Program (SES DP).
USDA Contact Page: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/contact-us/dr-gyami-shrestha
