Name: Nazario Del Toro, Gerardo A

Hometown: Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

Institution: University of Puerto Rico

Campus: Mayaguez Campus

Rank: B.S.

Major: n/a

Expected date of graduation: May 2015

Degree: Bachelor in Chemistry

USDA Agency of interest: USDA-Forest Service-Research and Development ; Wisconsin

Email: gerardo.nazario@upr.edu

 

Career cxperience/location:

Worked in a reseach project at the USDA-CETARS at University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez under the supervision of Dr. O. Marcelo Suárez

 

Description of career experience (what I learned): Learned how to characterize Titanium Dioxide samples, to use a furnace and various instruments (cutting,

compression) for sinterizing and preparing samples; how to use an optical microscope for photos of samples. Also learned how to work as part of a team.

 

What is your perception of agriculture now?: It is essential for life. We must learn how to use the technologies available to us so we can increase agricultural yields for

a healthy population.

 

How has this career experience broadened your employment opportunities: The experience I acquired on my research capacitates me to work fully

understanding most instruments and programs required for the characterization and analysis of ceramics. Knowledge about these techniques can open doors in

research laboratories.

 

Career and research aspirations: I aspire to finish my bachelor degree in civil engineering and surveying and afterwards get a master’s degree or a PhD on civil

engineering within the next five years and find a job at the USDA-Forest Service or in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. In 10 years I would like to be a group

leader and have an established career.

 

Skill Set: Bilingual-English/Spanish-computer literate-Office 2013- sinterizing on laboratory furnace-Optical microscope analisis programs-Characterizing samples-leadership skills.

 

The impact of my career experience: The reseach experiences at the CETARS program has given me the necessary skills to become a competent researcher, which will

help me in my future graduate program . I worked with instrumentation available at our institutions that gives me experience for future jobs. I also learned to use methods

of analysis of agricultural interest, such as pesticides; these experiences will prepare me to compete in the job market . My long term goals are to find a reseach position at

USDA-Forest Service Research and Development.