AAAS Fellows in front of the U.S. Capitol building

NSF AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows

Biography

Portrait of Abigail Boyd, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
Credit: Charlotte Geary/NSF

Dr. Abigail Boyd
AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
Office of the Assistant Director 
Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships
Class of 2024-2026


Dr. Abigail (Abbey) Boyd is a food scientist interested in working at the broader intersections of food and agriculture with major societal challenges such as health equity, nutrition security and climate justice. Originally from the greater Chicagoland area, she received her bachelor's degree in biological sciences in 2018 from Northwestern University, where she was also a Division I softball player. She received her doctorate in food science and technology in 2022 from Iowa State University, where her research focused on the improvement of an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion protocol for the analysis of foods and supplements containing phytosterols, a plant-derived lipid with known health benefits. While at Iowa State during the 2020 Iowa caucus cycle, she became interested in the interconnectedness of food and agricultural sciences with major societal challenges and policy issues, such as health equity, food security and climate change.

After completing her doctorate, Boyd was an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education research and leadership postdoctoral fellow at the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Beltsville, Maryland. In this role, she worked with a multidisciplinary committee of 11 leading agency scientists to facilitate cross-cutting agricultural research initiatives and promote the far-reaching impacts of the oldest and most comprehensive ARS research center. This experience ignited an interest in advancing integrated, transdisciplinary research across all sectors of society, including government, academia, industry and nonprofit organizations. This led Boyd to join the U.S. National Science Foundation Office of the Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships as a fellow working with the NSF Convergence Accelerator program. She also serves as assistant editor-in-chief for the Journal of Science Policy and Governance, a publication to support early-career STEM professionals in developing their policy communication skills.