Lincoln, Neb. —
What is your background before coming to the University of Nebraska Lincoln?
I grew up on a farm and ranch near Hartington, Nebraska, and developed a passion for agriculture at a young age. From there, I attended UNL majoring in Ag Economics, and I enjoyed visualizing the numbers aspect of agriculture and finding new and innovative ways to increase revenue per acre. After graduating, I ended up doing two years of mission work at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. After that, I came back to start my master’s in Agronomy under the advisory of Amit Jhala and graduated in August 2024.
What is your position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
I am the Nebraska On-Farm Research Lead Educator.
What drew you to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
The facilities are what drew me here, but the community and support are what keep me here. It has been a great ride so far, and the faculty/students I have interacted with over the years truly care about the promotion of critical thinking and establishing a better tomorrow for the ag sector.
What aspect of working in an educational setting do you enjoy the most?
I love working with farmers out in the field. Brainstorming new and innovative ways to get creative with inputs while maintaining those economic goals is what always excites me.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement was fundraising my own salary over the course of two years while doing mission work. Reaching out to friends, family, and other community members to ask to participate financially in missions helped me grow in confidence, patience, and public speaking skills in a short amount of time.
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I used to work in the Athletic Department (Turfgrass management) as a student intern during my sophomore year. This included working at all sporting events, including football gamedays at Memorial Stadium. My job, six hours before the game, was to ‘open the doors’ to the stadium and later put out pylons and field goal pads. As a lifelong Husker fan, this was an extremely cool thing to do and always made for a great day.
What is your life like outside of work?
I’ve been married to my beautiful wife, Haley, for eight months. We enjoy golfing together, making homemade dishes, and playing games with family. She is way more competitive than me, so we end up being on different teams typically.