What is your position at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center?
I am a research technician in the Biological Systems Engineering Lab at the West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center in North Platte, and I am also a graduate student. This role allows me to work directly with outreach programs while pursuing my master’s degree. Our program focuses on irrigation systems and water management, helping farmers conserve water, improve efficiency, and support sustainable crop production while maintaining profitability.
What drew you to the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center?
I grew up on a farm in southern Brazil, so agriculture has always been part of my daily life since I was a kid. When I started my agronomy degree, I became very curious about how agriculture worked outside of Brazil, especially in the United States, where technology and large-scale farming are on a different level.
That curiosity brought me to Nebraska for a one-year internship on a cereal farm. I can say that experience changed my career. I learned how to operate new equipment, utilize new management practices, experience new irrigation systems, and enhance my professional skills. That internship also helped me understand the challenges and opportunities farmers face here, which made me want to stay and continue to contribute to the agriculture industry in the United States.
Because of that experience, opportunities started to open including the one at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center. What attracted me the most was the chance to connect research with farmers in a very practical way. At WCREEC, I get to work directly with real field trials, soil moisture monitoring, nitrogen studies, irrigation management, and help farmers understand how research can improve their productivity and water use efficiency. I enjoy being in the field, talking with producers and seeing how our work makes a difference for the local community.
What aspect of working in an educational setting do you enjoy the most?
What I enjoy the most about working in an educational setting is the combination of learning, teaching, and real impact in the community. I like that every day I can be involved in something meaningful, whether it’s collecting field data, helping with research, or explaining to farmers and students how that information can improve productivity and save resources.
I especially enjoy the part where research connects with people. When we organize field days, workshops, or when I talk to farmers one on one, I see how much they appreciate clear, practical information, and how we can apply the research done at the center in the field. It is motivating to see how most of the producers get really excited about practices we can recommend and see the difference in their fields when they apply it.
Overall, what I enjoy the most is knowing that the work we do doesn’t stay inside the research center. It goes to the field, to the community, and helps farmers make better decisions.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is building my career in a different country, where everything I have accomplished has come from work, curiosity, and the willingness to take risks.
Leaving my country to pursue opportunities in the United States was a turning point. I came with a simple goal: learn as much as I could, grow as an agronomist, and build something meaningful.
For me, the achievement isn’t a single event, it’s the combination of all the steps that brought me here. Adapting to a new culture, improving my English, completing advanced studies while working full time, and being able to contribute to agriculture in the U.S. and abroad. All this together represents the journey I’m most proud of.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
Something most people don’t know about me is that I really enjoy reading. I always make time for books, and over the years I have built a small collection. Reading helps me relax, learn new things, and stay inspired. I especially enjoy books based on real events and those related to investments and money.
What is your life like outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy spending my time with my wife. We like to relax, go out, and enjoy simple things together. I also like fishing, playing soccer, and watching soccer, especially when Grêmio is playing on my favorite Brazil team. I enjoy having BBQs with friends and bringing people together.
I enjoy traveling and getting to know new places. When I go back to Brazil on vacation, I spend as much time as I can visiting friends and family and being on the farm. I love riding horses, helping with farm activities, running tractors and playing with my dogs. I really enjoy the countryside, the quiet, the open space, and the feeling of being surrounded by nature and animals.
