Scott Hutchins is the new White House nominee for Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education and Economics. Hutchins is currently the global leader of integrated field sciences for Corteva Agriscience and was previously president of the Entomological Society of America.  He has degrees from Iowa State University, Mississippi State University and Auburn University.

If confirmed, Hutchins would make Secretary Sonny Perdue’s sub-cabinet nearly complete; the remaining major post for which no one has been nominated is Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.

Sam Clovis of Iowa was previously nominated for the science post but was caught in a controversy over whether his qualifications matched those required in law.  Unrelated controversies involving the Trump campaign also contributed to his withdrawal from consideration.