Growing up in rural Augusta, Georgia, Jacobs-Young developed an early curiosity in people, plants, and nature. The interest she exhibited was the driving force for a successful STEM career, leading all the way to her recent nomination as Chief Scientist for the USDA. 

Jacobs-Young discovered a love for STEM as an elementary school student when her mother gifted her a science tool kit filled with experiments and a microscope. As her teachers began to recognize her talent, they placed her in advanced STEM courses. 

By the time she reached high school, she was selected to participate in the South East Consortium for Minorities in Engineering, or SECME.

“I realized that a profession in engineering was a perfect fit,” recalls Jacobs-Young. “It spoke to the part of me that wanted to understand how things worked and how I could fix or even enhance the most complex of projects.” 

A pivotal moment came while on a field trip with SECME to Georgia Tech. A young Jacobs-Young met engineering graduate students, some that looked just like her. 

“Being able to see scholars that looked like me in the engineering field made me realize that this was truly a possibility for me. I could work in science, solve problems, and find innovative ways to make things work better,” she said. 

After high school, she moved to North Carolina where she attended North Carolina State University (NCSU) and was a three-time ACC track champion and three-time STEM graduate. 

After completing her bachelor’s degree in paper science and engineering, she went on to complete a master’s and Ph.D., both in wood and paper science. With this, Dr. Jacobs-Young became the nation’s first Black Ph.D. in paper science and engineering.

In 2002, Jacobs-Young joined the USDA as a program leader for the National Research Initiative, the largest agricultural competitive grant program in the country. By 2008, she served for two years as a senior policy analyst in agriculture in the  White House Executive Office Office of the President where she supported the President’s Science Advisor and others on high-priority agriculture scientific issues.  One year later, she served as the first director of the USDA Office of the Chief Scientist, a department-level office she helped establish. While in this role, she led the development of the first USDA Scientific Integrity Policy and reestablished the USDA Science Council.

>Dr. Jacobs-Young is the first woman and person of color to lead the USDA’s intramural science agency. In her current role, she provides executive leadership and oversight of over 8,000 employees including 2,000 Ph.D. research scientists, extending across 90 research locations throughout the United States and four overseas laboratories, executing a $1.8 billion budget. 

Her career trajectory was not without setbacks though. When Dr. Jacobs-Young first applied for a position in the Senior Executive Service (SES, the highest level of career position in the federal government, she was passed over for the job. Being denied that opportunity didn’t quell her motivation. In fact, she credits the person who didn’t hire her as someone who helped catapult her career to higher heights. She often shares this story with young engineers that she mentors to show the importance of resilience in the face of adversity. 

“If I had been accepted for that role, I would not have gone on to face new challenges and accomplish new roles in my career.” 

Dr. Jacobs-Young’s steadfastness and dedication to giving back to her community and her nation, and leading future Black females into the STEM fields, are the truest definition of what it means to thrive. From humble beginnings to the highest honors and appointments, she continues to lead the way for women in STEM.