Rajiv Shah
Rajiv Shah | |
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Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development | |
In office January 7, 2010 – February 19, 2015 |
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Preceded by | Alonzo Fulgham (Acting) |
Succeeded by | Alfonso E. Lenhardt (Acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
March 9, 1973
Spouse(s) | Shivam Mallick Shah |
Alma mater | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor London School of Economics European Institute of Business Administration University of Pennsylvania |
Website | Official biography |
Rajiv "Raj" Shah (born March 9, 1973) was the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from January 7, 2010 to February 19, 2015. He was confirmed by the Senate on December 24, 2009. In this role, Shah led more than 9,600 professionals in 80 missions around the world, and managed an annual budget of over $22 billion.
During his years at USAID, Shah also led the humanitarian response of the United States to crisis such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti,[1] famine in the horn of Africa,[2] and refugees fleeing Syria.[3]
Prior to his appointment at USAID, Shah served as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist on April 17, 2009. Shah's nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate by unanimous consent on May 12, 2009.
Before serving in this administration, Shah worked in a range of leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation including Director of Agricultural Development,[4] Director of Financial Services, leader of the Strategic Opportunities initiative and manager of the Foundation's $1.5 billion commitment to the Vaccine Fund.[5]
After stepping down from USAID in early 2015,[6] Shah joined Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service (SFS) faculty as a Distinguished Fellow.[7] In this role, he works closely with Steven Radelet, director of Georgetown’s Global Human Development Program.[8]
Career
Community Engagement
Shah was actively engaged in the Seattle community as a trustee of the 54,000-student Seattle Community College District, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Seattle Public Library.[9] Shah co-founded multiple nonprofit organizations including Project Impact for South Asian Americans.[10] Prior to his appointment at USDA, Shah worked in a range of leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[11]
USAID

Shah became Administrator of USAID days before the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti and led the successful effort to help Haiti recover and rebuild.[1] His crisis management skills and expertise were hailed by many who appreciated his swift and strategic response.[12] In 2012, under Shah's leadership, the agency also played a pivotal role in helping Syrian refugees by providing food assistance and other humanitarian support.[13] Shah oversaw USAID's efforts in numerous other international crises, including the famine in the horn of Africa.[14]
Shah was influential in the development and implementation of Power Africa, an initiative that will double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa.[15] Shah leads the Administration's efforts to change America's food assistance program, including winning new flexibilities in the farm bill that would reach 1 million additional children at no additional cost.[16]
References
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External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by
Alonzo Fulgham
Acting |
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development 2010–2015 |
Succeeded by Alfonso E. Lenhardt Acting |
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- ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rajiv-shah/gIQAHB3RAP_topic.html[dead link]
- ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2014/12/17/usaid-head-raj-shah-to-tell-staff-hes-leaving-which-we-all-knew/
- ↑ http://www.georgetown.edu/news/rajiv-shah-joins-georgetown-faculty.html
- ↑ Global Human Development Program
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- ↑ http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/20/news/economy/raj_shah_usaid.fortune/index.htm Archived March 1, 2012 at the Wayback Machine
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- Pages with reference errors
- 1973 births
- American people of Indian descent
- Living people
- Obama Administration personnel
- Politicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan
- United States Department of Agriculture officials
- University of Michigan alumni
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni
- Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania alumni
- Asian-American diplomats
- Administrators of the United States Agency for International Development
- Articles with dead external links from July 2014