Justin Ronca

Justin Ronca is the Chief Data Scientist (CDS) and Assistant Chief Data Officer (ACDO) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

In his role, which he has held since March 2020, Ronca serves as the primary technical advisor on matters of data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence within the Office of Planning, Analysis and Risk Management (OPAM). He directly supports FSIS’ efforts to prevent foodborne illness and protect public health while modernizing its inspection systems, policies, and how it uses data science to achieve its public health goals. As ACDO, Ronca oversees the Agency’s data stewardship and governance efforts, and is developing FSIS’ data and analytics strategy as part of the Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act of 2018.

Prior to joining FSIS, Ronca served as a Principal Data Scientist for The MITRE Corporation, where he worked across MITRE’s Federally Funded Research and Development Centers to solve problems for a safer world.

He holds a Master of Science in Mathematical Statistics and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.