Dr. Shefali Mehta serves as the Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An environmental and agricultural economist and statistician, she comes to USDA from Open Rivers Consulting Associates, a science & technology and management consulting firm she founded and led. In her role as Founder and Principal, she helped clients intertwine innovation, data and science, compassion, diversity of perspectives and the importance of the environment for overall health into their skills and values.

Dr. Mehta has worked in roles across private, public and non-profit sectors including McKinsey, Syngenta, the Soil Health Partnership, amongst others. She has served as a Board member for various groups including Bountifield, Pheasants Forever, Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pest Center (MITPPC), the School of Statistics at University of Minnesota, and The Gates Scholar Advisory Council, amongst others.

Dr. Mehta received her PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics and MS in Statistics from the University of Minnesota, MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University and a BA in Economics from New York University.