NEW HAVEN, CT, April 8, 2020 – The Board of Control of The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven has appointed Dr. Jason White as director. He began his new position on April 1, 2020. Dr. White is the 10th director in the storied 145-year history of the Experiment Station and will replace Dr. Theodore Andreadis who has retired after 42 years of service to CAES and the State of Connecticut. Dr. White served as the agency’s vice director for the last six years.
A Pennsylvania native, Dr. White joined the research staff of the Experiment Station in 1997. Before being chosen as director, he was the chief scientist for the Dept. of Analytical Chemistry, where he directed state and federally funded research and surveillance activities focused on food, consumer products and the environment. White is an internationally known scientist in the fields of nanotechnology and food safety/food defense. He received his bachelor’s degree from Juniata College in Ecology and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology from Cornell University. He also holds an appointment as a visiting research scientist at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Massachusetts Amherst Stockbridge School of Agriculture. He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications and his current research activities focus on nanotechnology-enabled agriculture and food safety. Dr. White resides in Prospect with his wife Michelle and six children.
“My service to CAES started 23 years ago as a post-doctoral research associate and over that time, I have developed not just a vested interest in CAES but a real passion for its work, its people and its history. This agency has been a pillar of scientific service and research over the last 145 years; leading CAES for the next 20+ years will be the professional and personal opportunity of a lifetime,” said White after the appointment.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, established in 1875, was the first agricultural experiment station in the United States and is well known for its research findings including the discovery of hybrid corn, Vitamin A and the first isolation of West Nile Virus in North America, to name a few. Research programs are designed to advance knowledge of science, improve agricultural production, ensure safe foods, protect the environment, and enhance human health and well-being. The Station’s main laboratories are in New Haven. Other satellite locations are in Griswold, Hamden, and Windsor.
“Our goal is to continue the growth of our world-class research programs while embracing the leadership and vision of our newly appointed director to become the finest agricultural experiment station in the world” said Terry Jones, vice president of the Board of Control after the announcement.
To learn more about the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, go to https://portal.ct.gov/caes
