A native of Chile, Rodrigo earned his Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from University College Cork (Ireland), studying factors affecting the quality of low-fat cheeses. In 2014, he was a Research Scholar in the Department of Food Science at UW-Madison and collaborated on research projects with CDR under the supervision of CDR Director John Lucey. In recent years, Rodrigo has earned knowledge and experience conducting research in cheese science and technology. Now, as an associate scientist at CDR, Rodrigo is focusing on microbiological topics related to cheese and dairy products, along with writing research proposals and supporting research and outreach activities at CDR. Rodrigo hopes his contribution in research will improve the quality and competitiveness of U.S. dairy products.