MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — The International Grains Program (IGP) announced on May 8 that Carlos Campabadal has been hired as a full-time faculty member serving as the IGP’s new instructor and curriculum manager in feed manufacturing and grain storage.

“With the growth of the program, this hire brings IGP back up to full strength. We need full-time focus and having Carlos allows us to plan ahead on how we are going to meet industry needs,” said Dirk Maier, grain science and industry department head. “Carlos’ background includes feed manufacturing, grain storage and handling — this expertise is a large part of our courses, and he will complement that team.”

Campabadal earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Costa Rica, but he says it is growing up on his family’s diversified feed operation, which features an integrated swine and dairy operation and where the majority of their production is in extruded tilapia feed, is where he did much of his practical learning.

After working full-time in his family business for three and a half years after graduation, Campabadal went to the University of Illinois to receive a master’s degree in agricultural and biological engineering, and focus his studies on the recovery of co-products from corn milling.

From there, he sought out a doctorate in agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University concentrating on the use of ozone as a non-chemical alternative pest control technology for stored grains under Maier. In 2010, after Maier moved to Kansas State University to join the Department of Grain Science and Industry, Campabadal followed to finish his dissertation. This move landed him at IGP, working part-time as a program specialist in grain storage and to conduct field research in stored grain quality presentation.

“Working at IGP has helped me understand the economics side of my research and I have been able to bring my background in grain storage and quality and apply it to the short courses here,” Campabadal said. “I am looking forward to being in a faculty position and spending more time involved in department programs and working on IGP projects with more direct responsibility.”

In his new position, Campabadal will continue to assist IGP in carrying out its mission using his skills as a native Spanish speaker.

“I want to continue to expand IGP into new markets,” Campabadal said. “If we can relate to our customers and audiences better by increasing Spanish outreach — they in return will better understand and be more comfortable using U.S. grain commodities, which opens up opportunities for our Kansas grain and oilseed producers.”

Looking to the future, Campabadal is ready to take on the next set of challenges.

“My goal is to continue to improve IGP as a leading location for technical training of U.S. grain users including buyers, handlers, processors, feed manufacturers and flour millers,” Campabadal said. “So how do we do this? We work toward increasing numbers, creating hands-on experiences, translating courses into other languages, increasing distance education courses and focusing on identifying the needs of the customer.”