Ms. Ja-Neen Alexander Owens is the Program Manager for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MIs) at DEVCOM ARL’s Army Research Office. In this capacity, she manages and administers programs to expand HBCU/MI participation in basic research activities, and increase the number of underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields that are mission critical for the Army and the Department of Defense (DoD). Ms. Owens has 25 years of Army acquisition, sustainment and process improvement leadership. Beginning her federal service after graduating from the Materiel Maintenance Management Intern Program in Texarkana, Texas. She has a wealth of Army experience, serving in a wide range of capacities from managing foreign military sales, to serving as a senior acquisition development logistician for major weapon systems for the US Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM). She also spent a year working for the Army Material Command Commanding General, as Deputy Director of his HBCU/MI Outreach Program Office, looking for ways to increase HBCU/MI engagement across the command resulting in being awarded the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service. Additionally, she was awarded a Civilian Service Commendation Medal as the Program Executive Office (PEO) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEI&A) Lead while serving on the Workforce Futures Integration Team (WFIT). Ms. Owens is an Army Acquisition Corps member, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Central State University, a Master of Science degree in general business from Texas A & M University and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She, also, holds certifications in Life Cycle Logistics, Program Management and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.