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MEET
DR KRISTIN HOOK.
TEXAS RAISED. READY TO LEAD.
WHERE I COME FROM.
Growing up in a mixed family in South Texas, I have witnessed the disparities in opportunities given to Hispanic and White working class-families like my own. I watched my family work hard but still struggle living paycheck to paycheck. With the help of student loans, scholarships, and Pell grants, I earned two degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007. While in college, I discovered my passion for biology – even though I had never known a scientist growing up.
After graduating from college, I joined Teach For America to help address the educational inequities in our country that I personally experienced based on my zip code. I spent three years serving our country as a middle school science teacher in an underserved community in NYC before attending graduate school.
A THRIVING CAREER.
In 2016, I earned my PhD in Animal Behavior from Cornell University and moved to DC to deepen my expertise in reproductive biology as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland. I watched in despair as the Trump administration attacked science, women, marginalized communities, and democracy. I wore my lab coat by day but became a grassroots organizer for women scientists by night to push back against the Trump agenda. When the pandemic hit, I left my lab notebook behind to become a public servant in our federal government.
As a science and tech expert, I worked on a wide variety of federal policy issues while serving in the U.S. Senate (Office of Elizabeth Warren), National Institutes of Health, and the Government Accountability Office. While at the GAO, I helped make sure our taxpayer dollars are used wisely and effectively and educated Congress on emerging science and tech issues.