Background
I am originally from Costa Rica, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I was born the capital San José but I was raised in the Caribbean zone of the country where most of the soils are dedicated for agriculture, primarily bananas, pineapple and livestock.
I received my elementary and secondary education in Guápiles, Limón; graduating from "Instituto Técnico Agropecuario de Pococí" in December of 1992. I then continued my studies in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources from Escuela de Agricultura de la Región Tropical Húmeda "(EARTH University)" located in Limón, and obtained a "Licenciatura" (Honors B.Sc.) in 1996. EARTH University is a private, international, non-profit university offering an education in agricultural sciences and natural resources in order to contribute to sustainable development in the humid tropics.
After completing my undergraduate studies, I worked as a research agronomist in the Oil Palm Research Program of Palma Tica, Inc. located in the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. In 1998 I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina to join the Department of Soil Science at North Carolina State University as a research scholar, working under the direction of Dr. J. Wendell Gilliam. Then in 1999 I started my graduate studies in Soil Sciences and Statistics with Dr. Robert L. Mikkelsen working in nutrient management. Finally, in 2001 I moved to Saint Paul, MN to pursue a Ph.D. in Soil Science with a minor in Statistics at University of Minnesota with Dr. David J. Mulla and Dr. Pierre C. Robert.
