CV and Résumé
Agricultural Data Scientist
CSU Agricultural Water Quality Program
(719).980.3616
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Professional Experience
Agricultural Data Scientist
Colorado State University Agriculture Water Quality Program, 2021 - Present
Brought on to:
Conduct novel research in water quality and irrigation science
Create data analysis tools to streamline analysis and create meaningful insights on soil-water data
Develop novel environmental sensors for scalable data collection in robust monitoring networks
Analyze current and previously collected data to create peer-reviewed articles, extension documents, and other outreach material
Assist in outreach efforts to encourage farmer adoption of research-based best management practices
Assist in funding acquisition through research grants and other programs
Older Positions (Click to See)
Assistant Director
Innovation Irrigation Consortium (IIC), 2019 - 2021
Brought on to help further the IIC mission of accelerating the development and adoption of water and energy-efficient irrigation technologies and practices through public-private partnerships.
Involved heavily in business development of the IIC, specifically in technical communications and the acquisition of private donations and partnerships from IIC partnerships.
Station Director of IIC Headquarters based in Fort Collins
Responsibilities include: Hiring and managing of on-farm labor, securing equipment and funding related to site development, crop system management, irrigation scheduling management, touring facility to all current and potential IIC partners, overseeing
Graduate Research Assistant (M.Sc.) in Soil and Crop Sciences
Colorado State University, 2016 - 2021
Recruited to help find and identify common agronomic and hydrologic issues in common with Colorado and Sindh province of Pakistan as it relates to soil salinity and irrigation practices.
Involved regular communication with Pakistani collaborators and travel to Mehran University of Engineering and Technology for extension and education.
Manager of 3 undergraduate students: Summer full time, school year part-time
Project goals included:
Developing an easy-to-use method of correcting for excess gypsum dissolution in the preparation of saturated paste extracts, which are commonly used in measuring soil salinity around the world.
Creating regional maps of yield losses associated with salinity using traditional and new techniques
CSU Writes Graduate Student Intern
Colorado State University, 2018-2019
CSU Writes supports CSU’s researchers as professional writers who are experts or becoming experts in their fields of study.
Recruited to work specifically with visiting engineering students from Pakistan on improving their writing and presentation skills via bi-weekly group writing sessions, ultimately helping them turn their writing into their thesis.
Agronomist/Field Representative Intern
– Centennial Ag Supply, 2015
Internship to learn the agronomy consultant/salesman and commercial research industry
Learned crop scouting methods and techniques under a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA)
Performed corn variety, starter fertilizer, nitrate leeching, and rootworm research trials.
Used Massey Ferguson 4068 tractor to plant, band nitrogen fertilizer, and rototill for corn research.
Assisted in irrigation scheduling on an 125 acre corn research plot
Applied herbicide in 120 foot boom Case IH sprayer
Gained understanding of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and nematicides and safety protocols with each for alfalfa, corn, and sugar beet crops
Research Assistant
– Colorado State University Arkansas Valley Research Center, 2009 - 2014
Hired to assist in agricultural research for critical issues facing the CO Arkansas River Valley
Spectral data collection via multi-spectral radiometer (MSR5)
Measured corn and alfalfa growth characteristics for research purposes
Harvested alfalfa, wheat, sunflower, canola, camelina, and field corn for variety trial research
Harvested pepper, tomato, and melon variety trials
Executed siphon tube, gated pipe, and drip irrigation events on regular schedule
Performed maintenance on farm equipment (tractors, combines, mowers, etc…)
Heavy equipment experience (tractors, backhoes, etc…)
Certifications
Certified Crop Advisor - Agronomy Society of America
Commercial Drone Pilot - Federal Aviation Association 14 CFR Part 107 SUAS Certified
APNGA Portable Nuclear Gauge Safety - U.S. D.O.T. Hazmat Certified (For Neutron Moisture Meter Probe Use)
Select Publications
Chávez, José Luis, et al., 2024. "Maize Evapotranspiration Estimates Using Planet Dove Mini-Satellites and Field-Level InfraRed Thermometers." Applied Engineering in Agriculture.
Brown, Ansley, et al., 2023. Low-Cost IoT Water Sampler. Zenodo, https://doi.org10.5281/zenodo.10257622.
Brown, 2023. Cropping Systems Management for Climate Resilience. Agriculture Water Quality Program factsheet. https://agsci.colostate.edu/waterquality/wp-content/uploads/sites/118/2023/06/CSU-Cropping-Guide-r3_Final.pdf
Havrilla, 2023. Grazing Systems Management for Climate Resilience. Agriculture Water Quality Program factsheet. https://agsci.colostate.edu/waterquality/wp-content/uploads/sites/118/2023/06/CSU-Drought-Guide-r4_Final.pdf
Chavez et al., 2022. Relative Accuracy of Remote Sensing of Crop Evapotranspiration Estimates When Using Planet Dove- or UAS-based Multispectral Images. Irrigation and Drainage Journal. Submitted July 27, 2022. In review.
Costa-Filho et al., 2022. Updating Corn Crop Coefficients with Remote Sensing-based Actual Evapotranspiration Algorithms. World Environmental & Water Resources Congress (EWRI-ASCE). June 5. In review.
Brown et al., 2020. Predicting Crop Yield Losses Due to Soil-Water Salinity: A Comparison of Traditional and Alternative Approaches. 2020 Great Plains Soil Fertility Conference. March 10-11.
Brown et al., 2019. Estimating Impacts of Salinity on Irrigated Crop Production using electrical conductivity surveys and multi-level remote sensing. Colorado Water. March/April, Issue #2.
Select Funded Grants
Wardle et al., 2024. Evaluating the impacts of agricultural Best Management Practices on water quality in the Colorado River Basin. $218,369. Colorado Ag Water Alliance. EPA 319 Funding. Co-Principal Investigator.
Wardle et al., 2024. Advancing Sensor Technology and Knowledge Transfer in Agriculture: Optimizing IoT Sensors for Sugar Beet Production. $17,303. Western Sugar Cooperative. Co-Principal Investigator.
Brown et al., 2023. Low-Cost IoT Technology for Runoff Water Quality Comparison with Traditional Methods. $48,125. Colorado Water Conservation Board Seed Research Program. Principal Investigator.
Wardle et al., 2023. Scalable Monitoring of Cercospora Leaf Spot and Temperature in Beet Storage Piles using Low-Cost, Internet of Things (IoT) Systems. $16,710. Western Sugar Cooperative. Co-Principal Investigator.
Kilic et al., 2022. Accelerating adoption of irrigation scheduling with satellite-based precision evapotranspiration from OpenET. $700,000. NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES). Key Contributor.
Wardle et al., 2022. Establishing pollinator habitats in vegetative filter strips: a sustainable opportunity for Colorado corn farmers. $15,277. Colorado Corn Growers Association. Co-Principal Investigator.
Wardle et al., 2022. Scalable Monitoring of Sugar Beet Storage Piles with Low-Cost Internet of Things (IoT) Temperature Sensor and Comparison of Existing Sensors. $10,352. Western Sugar Cooperative. Co-Principal Investigator.
Welch et al., 2022. Stakeholder-driven Outreach to Enhance Agricultural Producer's Resilience to Drought and Climate Uncertainty. $31,385. CSU Competitive Grant Program Water Team Project. Co-Principal Investigator.
Andales et al., 2021. Developing irrigation infrastructure at CSU-ARDEC to support innovative research in irrigation efficiency, water use, and re-use. $588,246. Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Plan Grants. Key Contributor.
Andales et al., 2020. Improving irrigation efficiency through the development of the hydraulic infrastructure at Irrigation Innovation Consortium Headquarters. $314,769. Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Plan Grants. Key Contributor.
Brown, 2020. “Calling All Researchers!”. Proposal for crop health monitoring. Equipment donation. Arable Labs. Principal Investigator.
Chavez et al., 2019. Evaluating WISE Performance for Corn when Updated with Remote Sensing-based Actual Crop Coefficients: Full and Deficit Irrigation. $50,000. Irrigation Innovation Consortium. Co-Principal Investigator.
Teaching and Extension
The most current events can be found on the research blog tab
Panelist at 2018 South Platte Forum
Speaker at the 2017 Independent Agricultural Consultants of Colorado conference
Speaker at 2017 Eastern Colorado Crop Production conference
2018 Irrigation of Field Crops instructor (SOCR 371)
Guest instructor in GIS Applications in Agriculture (SOCR 377)
Education
Master of Science, Soil and Crop Sciences
Colorado State University - 2021
Graduate Certificate in Data Analysis
Colorado State University - 2018
Bachelor of Soil and Crop Science
Colorado State University - 2015
Bachelor of Agricultural Business
Colorado State University - 2015
Associate of Arts
Otero Junior College - 2013
Other Experience
Check out my Research Projects page to learn more!
EM38-MK2 soil conductivity sensor operation for spatial mapping of soil properties (e.g. salinity, water, etc.)
Multi-Spectral Radiometer (MSR) operation for calculating crop health via spectral indicies (e.g. NDVI)
Campbell Scientific data logger and sensor setup and monitoring for soil and weather data networks
Irrigation systems design and operation scheduling (drip, sprinkler, and surface irrigation types)
General farm management practices (Equipment operation, chemical use and application, crop management)
Leadership and Fellowships
Part of LAUNCHPAD’s Research to Market (R2M) program, Cohort 6
Participated in Innosphere Ventures business incubator program for SoilSignal
Graduate Student Panel Representative for Soil and Crop Sciences Department, 2018-2019
Colorado Water Institute – Completed “Students in Dialogue about Water” seminar series, 2015
CSU FarmHouse Fraternity Alumni Advisor, 2016 - 2019
Honors
Irrigation Association Scholarship Recipient - 2017
College of Agricultural Sciences Commencement Speaker - Fall 2015
Colorado Garden Foundation 4-year Scholarship Recipient - 2012
Daniels Scholarship Fund Recipient - 2012
Professional Activities
Search Committee Chair for the Agricultural Water Quality Program (AWQP) Research Associate I position
Colorado Lysimeter Project Technical Advisory Committee Member
Completed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Foundations course for supervisors offered by CSU
Completed Mindset for Supervisors course for supervisors offered by CSU
Completed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Foundations course for supervisors offered by CSU
Search Committee Member for the Agricultural Water Quality Program (AWQP) Research Associate II position
Search Chair, and Search Committee Member training certified.
Search Committee Member for the Irrigation Innovation Consortium Executive Director
Tri-Societies (ASA, SSSA, CSSA) Member
Soil Water Conservation Society Member
Service
Irrigation Association Ag Faculty Academy Committee Vice Chair
The committee is charged with coming up with content and sessions as well as identifying potential speakers for the annual Ag Faculty Academy, which is a teacher training event for high school, community college and university professors.
Panelist for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant.
Reviewer for Agricultural Water Management Journal
Panelist for Irrigation Innovation Consortium Request for Proposals