Renowned agronomist, plant geneticist and national science policy leader Molly Jahn is the 2026 E.T. York Distinguished Lecturer at Auburn University.
Jahn will present a lecture titled “The Future of Food” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, at the Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center. The lecture is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at aub.ie/S26ETYork.
Jahn is widely recognized for her work in plant breeding, agricultural systems and food security. Originally trained as a plant breeder, she began her faculty career at Cornell University, where she developed dozens of vegetable varieties now grown commercially and for subsistence on six continents. Among the most widely known are Delicata, Carnival, Harlequin, Bugle, Honey Baby and Honey Nut squash varieties.
She has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific papers and helped develop the first comparative genetic map for pepper, identifying key genes responsible for color and the evolution of heat in the crop. Her research has also led to patents related to engineering broad-spectrum viral resistance in plants.
Jahn currently serves as senior advisor to the chief strategy officer for the under secretary of war for research and engineering at the U.S. Department of Defense. She previously served as a program manager at DARPA, where she launched major research initiatives including Cornucopia and Foundational Security for Food Systems.
From 2006 to 2011, she served as the 12th dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she oversaw 20 academic departments and 11 agricultural research stations. During her tenure, the university secured what was then the largest grant in its history to establish the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
In 2009, she served as deputy and acting undersecretary of agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, overseeing four major agencies, including the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service. She returned to academia and launched research examining risks and threats to U.S. and global food systems. Her work has produced influential reports on vulnerabilities within agricultural and food supply systems.
The E.T. York Distinguished Lecturer Series features internationally recognized speakers like Jahn who address issues related to agriculture, food, the environment and natural resources. The series was established in 1981 in the Auburn College of Agriculture through a gift from E.T. York and Vam Cardwell York, both native Alabamians and Auburn graduates.
York served as director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service from 1959 to 1962 before leading the USDA Federal Extension Service in Washington, D.C. He later served as provost and vice president for agriculture at the University of Florida and then as chancellor of the State University System of Florida until retiring in 1980.
