Jeffrey Steiner, Director
Dr. Jeffrey Steiner serves as the Director of Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center. Jeff brings extensive leadership experience from both academic and federal government roles, including positions with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and three universities. Throughout his career, Jeff has led and supported systems-based research in food and agriculture, natural resources, bioenergy, and now hemp.
He is known for building and guiding interdisciplinary, multi-institutional teams, and for fostering strong collaborations across public, private, sovereign Native American nations, and international partners. As a recognized science expert, Jeff has advised political appointees, government agency officials, and organizations focused on commodities, conservation, and economic development.
Jeff earned his Ph.D. in Seed Production and Technology from Oregon State University and holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from California State University, Fresno. He is a Fellow of both the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and a recipient of the CSSA Seed Science Career Award.
Raised on a family farm near Visalia in California’s San Joaquin Valley, Jeff’s early experiences growing cotton, alfalfa, grains, fruit, and nut crops, and raising livestock continue to inform his work in agricultural innovation.
Kristin Rifai, Assistant Director of Center Operations
Kristin Rifai serves as the Assistant Director of Center Operations for the Global Hemp Innovation Center. Kristin provides strategic leadership across administrative, financial, and operational functions. As a key member of the executive leadership team, she helps shape the Center’s strategic direction, manages complex budgets, and fosters partnerships across academia, industry, and government.
Kristin holds an MBA and brings a rich professional background spanning human resources, high tech, nonprofit management, and entrepreneurship. Her diverse experience informs her collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to operations and organizational development, supporting the Center’s mission to drive innovation and impact in the hemp industry.
Gordon Jones, Assistant Director of Field Operations
Gordon Jones serves as Assistant Director of Field Operations for the Global Hemp Innovation Center. Gordon is an Associate Professor (Practice) and Agronomist with OSU Extension Service based in Prineville, OR. Gordon coordinates extension and field activities for GHIC, with a particular focus on supporting AFRI SAS-1 and SAS-2 grants. In his faculty role in Central Oregon, Gordon conducts research, teaches extension classes, and provides technical assistance around pasture, hay, and small grain management, soil fertility, and drought resilience.
Zhaohui Wu, Assistant Director of Industry Relations and Global Partnerships
Zhaohui Wu serves as Assistant Director of Industry Relations and Global Partnerships for the Global Hemp Innovation Center. Dr. Wu is a Professor of Supply Chain Management. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Operations Management and the Journal of Supply Chain Management. His teaching and research focus on supply networks, industry policy, complexity, supply chain risk and resilience, and disaster relief operations.
Dr. Wu has received multiple research grants from the National Science Foundation (U.S.), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA SAS-1, USDA SAS-2), The Leverhulme Trust (UK), and the Australian Research Council (ARC). He conducts field-based research in collaboration with companies in the aerospace, agriculture, and electronics sectors, as well as with government agencies and NGOs.