Meet the Team
Juan Romero, M.S., PhD
Dr. Juan Romero is an Associate Professor of Forage Science and Dairy Cattle Nutrition at the University of Maine. He seeks to expand our understanding of the factors that affect forage quality and conservation and develop novel strategies that can increase the profitability of farmers. Specifically, Dr. Romero’s research program is working to optimize the use of hay and silage preservatives and to develop additives and management practices that can decrease PFAS contamination in livestock systems.
Dr. Romero earned his B.Sc. degree in Animal Sciences at the National Agrarian University in Lima, Peru (2007) and both his M.Sc. (2009) and Ph.D. (2013) in Animal Sciences with an emphasis in Ruminant Nutrition at the University of Florida, USA. His post doctoral experience in forage science was completed at North Carolina State University, USA (2016).
Glenda Pereira, M.S., PhD
Dr. Pereira attended the University of Minnesota for her masters and PhD programs. Her research interests include: dairy, crossbreeding, low-input, pasture-based, and feed efficiency.
Kizito Nishimwe, M.S., PhD
Dr. Nishimwe is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Maine. He completed his PhD at Iowa State University in the program of Food Science and Technology, and his research focused on feed/food safety management with a particular emphasis on mitigating mycotoxins. He holds an MSc. Degree in food safety management from the University of Liege in Belgium.
Joe Poblete, M.S.
Joe is a Ph.D. student in Food and Nutrition Sciences in the Animal and Veterinary Science program. His research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of preservatives in preventing spoilage in alfalfa hay. Joe received his master’s degree in Animal Science from the University of the Philippines Los Baños in 2019. During his masters, he did research in evaluating the effects of dietary tannins and feed energy density in the growth performance, rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrient digestibility in dairy growing bulls. Joe published his M.S. thesis in the Tropical Animal Science Journal. He was fortunate to receive a publication award from the UPLB and a publication incentive from the Department of Science and Technology.
After finishing his M.S degree, from July 2019 to December 2022, Joe served as a Senior Science Research Specialist in the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI) in UPLB. He was involved in a government-funded project entitled, “Development of Farm-Specific Precision Feeding System and Forage Production Protocols for Enhanced Productivity and Profitability of Dairy Farms”.
Barbara Escudero-Alejos
Barbara is a Master’s student in Animal Science at the University of Maine. She works as a Graduate Research Assistant at the School of Food and Agriculture. Barbara is originally from Peru where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics from the Cayetano Heredia University (UPCH). Her primary area of interest is animal nutrition.
Barbara’s research focuses on two areas. Firstly, she is examining the effectiveness of preservatives in preventing spoilage in high-moisture alfalfa hay. Secondly, she is studying the occurrence of hay fires in the US and their economic impact.
André Mindiola Mendoza
André hails from Ecuador and is a Biological and Agricultural Engineer. He is currently employed as a Research Assistant at the University of Maine in the School of Food and Nutrition, specifically within Dr. Romero’s Lab, where he is actively involved in the PFAS project.
The central theme of André’s bachelor’s degree final project revolves around formulating diets that integrate black soldier fly larvae as a viable substitute for traditional protein sources in poultry production. This research reflects his predominant interest in various facets of animal nutrition, sustainability, and production.
Marco Chusho Guevara
Marco holds a degree in Crop Engineering from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the National Agrarian University La Molina (UNALM). Currently, he is a research assistant at the University of Maine in the School of Food and Nutrition, working under the supervision of Dr. Juan Romero.
He is involved in three research projects. The first project focuses on assessing the effectiveness of preservatives in preventing spoilage in high-moisture alfalfa hay. The second project involves examining the effectiveness of preservatives in preventing spoilage in high-moisture alfalfa hay. Lastly, he is involved in researching the occurrence of hay fires in the US and their economic impact.
Ana Paula Jimenez
Ana holds a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics from Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University (UPCH). She is a Research Assistant at the University of Maine in the School of Food and Agriculture under the supervision of Dr. Glenda Pereira and Dr. Juan Romero. In this past year, Ana has been working with UMaine Cooperative Extension and the research Lab. The projects she has been involved with include: Cowmanager Project, Study of the effects of wilting extent, forage conservation method, and storage phase on the phytoestrogen levels of red clover hay and silage, Efficacy of Binder on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Aflatoxin B1 level under In vitro Ruminal condition.
Sarah Benner
Sarah is an undergraduate student in the Animal and Veterinary Science Program. She is originally from Farmingdale, Maine and is passionate about helping her local agriculture. She is the recipient of a fellowship from the Center for Undergraduate Research and a grant from the Maine Top Scholars Program. Sarah plans to attend veterinary school after her undergraduate degree.
Lilian Nowak
Lilian is a student in the Animal and Veterinary Science program. She plans to take a gap year and then attend veterinary school. Lilian is a recipient of a fellowship from the Center of Undergraduate Research.