Jason Cavadini
Graduation Year: 2011
Major/Minor: Crop and Soil Science
Other Degree(s): Master's in Agronomy, Purdue University
Position Title: Agronomist/Assistant Superintendent
Employer: University of Wisconsin-Madison Marshfield Agricultural Research Station
When I decided to transfer to UW-River Falls to complete a bachelor's degree, I had a good idea of what I wanted to accomplish after spending several years in the workforce. I appreciated the fact that my advisor was more than willing to spend time ensuring that I receive proper credit for my previous courses at a technical college.
My education at UWRF was unique in that it provided a good mix of classroom, hands-on, and professional experiences. I developed leadership skills as an officer in the Crops and Soils Club and attended professional meetings where I presented research and developed the professional relationships that have been so crucial to my success today. In addition, I was a member of the Soils Judging Team, and took advantage of opportunities to travel across the country to evaluate soils in a manner similar to professional soil scientists. With the guidance of my advisers, I also gained experience in undergraduate research, which set me apart from other students. By graduation, I had accumulated a unique set of experiences, and because of this, I was well-prepared and highly recruited by graduate programs.
After UWRF I went on to pursue a master's degree in agronomy at Purdue University where my studies were focused on soil conservation and cover crops. The educational background that I took with me from UWRF proved to be more than adequate time and again throughout my graduate education. Today I am the agronomist and assistant superintendent of the UW-Madison Marshfield Agricultural Research Station. In this position I manage over 1,000 acres of crop production for the research dairy herd, and support the research needs of UW and USDA scientists in over 50 different field research trials. I am certain that my past and future successes are due in a large part to the solid foundation that UWRF provided to me.
