Name:  Andrew Ernat 

Hometown:  Hamilton, MO

Majors and Graduation Date:  Horticulture, Global Resource Systems, Summer 2022

Favorite ISU classes:  I thoroughly enjoyed my discussion-based GRS courses (GLOBE 211) to explore opinions and perspectives from our diverse cohorts. The most fun course had to be hydroponic crop production with Dr. Currey (HORT 331), and how could I forget the Dean's Global Food and Agriculture Program (GLOBE 495/497) which culminated with a month in Rome, Italy.

Job Title & Company/Organization/School:  Senior Research Plot Technician; University of Minnesota, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

Major Job/Position Responsibilities:  As a full-time staff member at Cedar Creek (a 5,500+ acre contiguous site part of the NSF LTER network focused on ecological science) I help steward decades-old experimental plots, install new studies, maintain facilities/equipment, mentor undergraduates/K-12, and participate in prescribed burning.

What do you like most about your job/position?  I love the diversity of tasks required to keep our massive site pristine as well as being a part of a passionate team of conservationists/scientists.

What advice would you give to current students pursuing a career in Agriculture and Life Sciences?  Maintain a balance of short-, mid-, and long-term priorities when choosing your path. The distant future is exciting and promising, but don’t undervalue things like community and happiness in the short-/mid-term as they often support long-term success. Sacrifice and hard work are important in an early career, but these alone can leave us detached and discontented with the present.