Dr. Antonio McLaren | Independent Consultant
Dr. Antonio McLaren provides strategic consulting to higher education institutions, helping faculty transform complex research ideas into competitive, funder-aligned grant proposals that increase their likelihood of funding. He has over 26 years of work experience, including more than 22 years at USDA and over 4.5 years at the 1890 Universities Foundation. Dr. McLaren spent most of his career at USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), where he provided national leadership, management, and support for several NIFA competitive grant programs. As Vice President of Programs at the 1890 Universities Foundation (a role he held until January 2026), Dr. McLaren provided management of programs and activities to build transformational capacity across the 1890 land-grant university system. His federal and non-profit background fuels his commitment to supporting higher education institutions, with a special focus on HBCUs.
Dr. McLaren earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business/Economics in 2001, and his Master of Arts degree in Economics and Finance in 2003 – both from Virginia State University. In May 2015, he graduated with a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.