Bob Epstein was selected as the deputy administrator for science and technology in the Agricultural Marketing Service. He succeeded Bill Franks, who served in that position from March 1994 until he retired in June 2000, following over 38 years of federal service.

    From June 2000 until he was selected for this position, effective in April 2001, Epstein served as the acting deputy administrator for science and technology in AMS. He was the agency’s associate deputy administrator for science and technology from 1991-2000. In that position, he developed USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, which is designed to collect statistically reliable pesticide residue data for dietary risk assessments, and which is now an international model for residue testing programs.

    Epstein was chief of the [then] Quality Systems Branch in the Food Safety and Inspection Service from 1985-1990, after having been chief of FSIS’s [then] Chemistry Laboratories Branch from 1979-85. In those two positions he helped develop FSIS’s residue monitoring program, which monitors the amount of chemical residue on meat and poultry products. From 1971-79 he served as the technical director of the New Jersey State Police Laboratories, covering northern New Jersey. He worked as a research chemist in private industry in Brooklyn, N.Y., from 1964-71.

    A native of Brooklyn, Epstein holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from the City College of New York and an M.S. and a Ph.D. degree, both in analytical chemistry and both from the Polytechnic University, formerly Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.