Government and Community Relations welcomes Kristina Owens

‌

Kristina Owens

Kristina Owens has been named associate vice president for Government and Community Relations at Rochester Institute of Technology.

“I’m very pleased to have Kristina join the RIT campus community, and thrilled that she is not only a native Rochesterian, but also an alumna of the university,” said Deborah Stendardi, RIT vice president for Government and Community Relations.

Owens, who began her new job Jan. 2, spent 10 years working at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., and also worked in the offices of U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Most recently, she has worked as an associate and scientific adviser with Eversole Associates, a consulting firm in Bethesda, Md.

A native of the Rochester area, Owens earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo, as well as master’s degrees in science, technology and public policy from RIT and in forestry from Michigan Technological University.

Owens spent two years in Bolivia, serving in the Peace Corps, and has held volunteer leadership positions with the National Peace Corps Association, including chair of its Public Policy and Advocacy Committee and as a member of the Board of Directors. She also served as the event manager for the 50^th anniversary celebration of the Peace Corps.

“I am excited to join the Government and Community Relations team,” Owens said. “As an RIT alumna, I am thrilled to be able to apply my degree program in public policy along with my experiences from the Peace Corps and my work as a biologist to further advocate for RIT’s vision to be a great world university that addresses the shifting needs of a complex planet.”