USAID Administrator

Dr. Rajiv Shah was sworn in as the 16th administrator of the United States Agency for International Development on December 31, 2009, which was days before the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.He was designated by President Barack Obama as the point person for providing aid relief for those affected by the natural disaster.

Prior to USAID, Shah was the Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and Chief Scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he launched the National Institute of Food and Agriculture designed to fund research.

Shah also spent seven years at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as Director of Agricultural Development in the Global Development Program and Director of Strategic Opportunities.Before joining the foundation, he served as Health care adviser to Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign.

He earned his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Shah also has a Master's degree from the Wharton School of Business. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan. He is the founder of Project Impact for South Asian Americans, with chapters in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston to encourage South Asians to contribute positively to American society. The group participated in mentoring and volunteer activities as well as community building and leadership training.