Gustavo is a post-doc working on a flexible supply chain risk model for produce systems. He earned his B.S. in Food Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2017. Soon after, he started a position as an Food Safety and Quality Assurance Specialist for MIC Food (A tropical value-added fruit and vegetable importer). In 2019, he joined the Stasiewicz lab as a Ph.D. Student. In August 2023, he earned his PhD in Food Science and an M.S. in Applied Statistics.
His PhD work consisted of developing a QMRA (Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment) for share tables in school cafeterias to predict the risk for norovirus cross-contamination on apples. He also developed farm-to-consumer process models for leafy green and tomatoes to assess the efficacy of product testing at different process stages. Additionally he worked on modeling sampling plans for Cyclospora cayetanensis by using current FDA detection methods to maximize the probability of detecting this emerging pathogen
Gustavo enjoys playing basketball, eating good food, running, spending quality time with his wife, and playing video games with friends.