Get to know… is a feature for UF/IFAS CREC social media. In it, we get to know one of the faculty, staff or students working at UF/IFAS CREC. Dr. Filomena Valim currently works with the CREC Plant Improvement Team working with Dr Jude Grosser, Dr Fred Gmitter and Dr Bill Castle as their data manager for the Plant Improvement Field Trial website.

1. When did you start working at CREC?

I started working at CREC in September 2000 as a visiting scientist/post-doc with Dr Russ Rouseff (Flavor Chemistry). I was a professor of Food Technology at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Sao Paulo State University in Araraquara, Brazil. I had just finished my Ph.D in Food Technology and studied FCOJ storage and cited many CREC researchers, so I was really proud of working together along all CREC scientists, being part of the Florida citrus community and meeting people from around the world.

2. What are your current responsibilities at CREC?

After my post-doc, I was hired as a Research Scientist for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and worked there for 12 years (our offices and labs were at the packing house building at CREC). The decreasing budgets due to HLB led to the extinguishing of FDOC research group and I once again became a post-doc at UF/CREC with Dr Nabil Killiny. In 2018, I joined the Citrus Improvement Team working with Dr Jude Grosser, Dr Fred Gmitter and Dr Bill Castle as their data manager for the Plant Improvement Field Trial website.

3. What are you really proud about working at CREC?

I’m really proud of all the research that I was able to participate at CREC and now to be part of the Citrus Improvement Team and help to make available all the field work the team has done to aid growers to make timely and sound planting decisions.

4. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

It is very rewarding to be part of and to interact with an internationally renowned group of scientists and people from around the world and learn about different cultures.

5. What is your favorite type of citrus?

Tangerines

6 Where is your favorite vacation spot?

Driving backroads in Europe.

7. What is your favorite thing to cook/eat?

My favorite food is bacalao (salted cod fish) and all types of different dishes that you can prepare with it.

8. If you could invite three people to share a meal with, who would it be (other than family)?

My dear friends of many years: Marta Cressoni, Maria Cristina Moraes and Thais Cesar.

9. What is your favorite song or recording artist?

I like Brazilian song writer/singer Tom Jobim and Queen and Supertramp.

10. Do you have a favorite movie? Book?

Favorite movie: Groundhog day (it shows that if we are not committed to become a better person, it seems that we are stuck with the same day over and over). Book: thanks to the example of my parents, I really enjoy reading since a young age and enjoyed many books from many authors and genres.

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