Sarah (Sally) Jean Rockey (born February 13, 1958) is the inaugural Executive Director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, where she funds innovative agricultural research efforts through private/public partnerships. Prior to this position, Rockey was Deputy Director for Extramural Research at the United States
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
(NIH),
overseeing research administration for the largest research program in the world.
Early years
Rockey is the third of four children of Ann Kaserman Rockey and Lee Cady Rockey. She moved often as a child as her father was transferred through his job at
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
. When she was ten, her family settled in Lake Lucerne in Bainbridge, Ohio. She graduated from
Kenston High School
Kenston High School is a public high school located in Bainbridge Township, Ohio, near Chagrin Falls. It serves most of Bainbridge Township and all of neighboring Auburn Township and is the only high school in the Kenston Local School District. K ...
in 1976, attended
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...
for two years and transferred to the
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
where she received three degrees, a BS in
Zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
and a Masters and Ph.D. in
Entomology
Entomology () is the science, scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such ...
. After graduation she held a postdoctoral position at the Department of Entomology,
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
.
Career
Rockey's career in research and grants administration began in 1986 at the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service where she held a variety of positions prior to appointment as the head of the Competitive Grants Program and finally the agency's
Chief Information Officer in 2002.
[ She moved to NIH in 2005 to apply her skills in research administration to the large biomedical research portfolio. She oversaw many complex initiatives while at NIH and gave special attention to workforce issues, as promoting the next generation of scientists has been a linchpin of her career.
Rockey is considered a global leader in research administration and has used her various positions to further the application of science to real world problems. While at NIH, Rockey used this position to advocate for greater transparency in NIH administration, establishing the blog "Rock Talk" as a platform for communicating with the community of biomedical researchers receiving NIH extramural funding and with the general public. The Rock Talk blog was pioneering for the Federal government, as one of the first blogs to accept public comments and was the subject of a feature in '']Nature magazine
''Nature'' is a British weekly scientific journal founded and based in London, England. As a multidisciplinary publication, ''Nature'' features peer-reviewed research from a variety of academic disciplines, mainly in science and technology. It ...
''.
Rockey has also published commentary on scientific career development and, with NIH Director Francis Collins
Francis Sellers Collins (born April 14, 1950) is an American physician-geneticist who discovered the genes associated with a number of diseases and led the Human Genome Project. He is the former director of the National Institutes of Health ( ...
, on managing financial conflicts of interest in scientific research.
Rockey retired from Federal public service after 30 years and returned to her roots in agriculture when she was appointed as the first Executive Director for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. FFAR funds innovation to advance agriculture through public-private research partnerships. Rockey is considered one of the central voices globally for promoting agricultural sciences as a way to improve people's lives and works closely with Congress, Federal agencies, and other significant organizations on ag science funding and policy issues.
Rockey served for five years as the Vice-President of the Human Frontiers of Science Program, and international research program located in Strasbourg, France.
Known for her skill in public speaking and often entertaining presentations, Rockey has given hundreds of talks on various topics during the course of her career and has been featured on radio, podcasts and occasionally television.
Rockey has 13 research publications and numerous other public commentaries, editorials, or focus pieces.
Awards and honors
*Joseph F. Carrabino Award, National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) 2014 “For Significant Contribution to Research Administration”
*Presidential Rank Award The Presidential Rank Awards program is an individual award program granted by the United States government to career Senior Executive Service (SES) members and Senior Career Employees within the OPM-allocated Senior-Level (SL) or Scientific-Profes ...
(2004).[
*Fellow of the ]Entomological Society of America
The Entomological Society of America (ESA) was founded in 1889 and today has more than 7,000 members, including educators, extension personnel, consultants, students, researchers, and scientists from agricultural departments, health agencies, ...
(2017)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockey, Sally
1958 births
Living people
Bowling Green State University alumni
Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences alumni
National Institutes of Health people
United States Department of Agriculture officials
Chief information officers
Fellows of the Entomological Society of America