Valerie Rhoe joined IFPRI in 2000 as a senior research assistant. In May 2007, Valerie joined the Development Strategy and Governance Division as Program Coordinator for its Nigeria Strategy Support Program. In addition to supporting the program coordination, she will be actively involved in the Program's capacity strengthening, communications, and monitoring and evaluation activities. Her previous work at IFPRI focused on strengthening the capacity of developing-country institutions to undertake food, agriculture, and nutrition policy analysis. She was also a key player in the initial set up of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) distance education program – the Global Open Food and Agriculture University. She has taught courses on food security and communicating food policy research to graduate students, professors, and researchers and has conducted research on issues related to food security, rural poverty, capacity strengthening, and distance education. She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and economics from Moravian College and her master's degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame.