Tawny Mata – Blue Accounting Director of Strategic Engagement, The Nature Conservancy
Dr. Tawny Mata has pursued a lifelong goal of contributing to conservation through science. In 2013, Tawny became a fellow with American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Chief Scientist. During her tenure at USDA as an AAAS Fellow and later as the Partnership Coordinator for the U.S. Pollinator Health Task Force, Tawny worked on several major projects to protect pollinators as well as studying climate change and food security. Working with USDA, Tawny discovered her true love of working at the intersection of science and policy. In 2016, she joined the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research as a Scientific Program Director, managing a grant portfolio that spanned education, conservation, and plant health with an aim of finding evidence-based, practical solutions to applied problems in food and agriculture.
Tawny received her B.A. in Biology from Pomona College, her Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California at Davis, and conducted postgraduate research at Michigan State University. In her free time, she enjoys baking, cycling, and hanging out with her dogs, Rocky and Oscar.
Contact Tawny at tawny.mata@tnc.org.