Alberto Gehrke Hardt may be graduating from the Horticultural Technician Co-op program on June 13, but that doesn’t mean his time at NC has come to an end.
His budding career has sprouted an offshoot in the Research & Innovation division. Hardt has taken on a position as a Greenhouse Research Associate within NC’s Horticultural and Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC).
He has been working with HESIC since January 2022 and was recently hired as a Greenhouse Research Associate dedicated to HESIC research projects for partner International Zeolite Corp. (IZ).
NC’s Research & Innovation division recently announced a partnership with IZ, which aims to introduce a revolutionary new growing system to assist growers, boost food production, and create opportunities for students. View release here for information about the research partnership with IZ.
How do you feel about the experience you’ve been gaining with HESIC through the projects you have worked on for IZ?
At first, I imagined that our work as a part-time students would only be operational, following guidelines from research leaders on how to proceed with the experiments, but actually what happens is much more interesting, because students participate in some of the meetings with the IZ and feel that our opinions and suggestions are really heard and taken into account.
I did not expect this level of appreciation for our work as student research assistants.
How do you feel about the opportunity to work on more IZ projects in the future … and what does it mean to you/your career goal?
I see this as a sign that my work at HESIC over the past year has been well received, and I hope that the IZ product we have been testing can be well accepted in the Canadian market. As a researcher, I understand that I have to have a neutral or even critical view of the product, trying to unravel any flaws that may happen before it goes to the market. But deep down, we hope that the trials we are running demonstrate the success of the product.
How do you feel about landing this job at HESIC?
I thought it would be very difficult to be invited to work at HESIC; we have a team of very competent people, and I knew that the opportunities would be limited. I believe being at the right place at the right time helps.
I was lucky, but I also believe I showed I was capable. I was invited to continue working on the team even before I graduated. I am very proud to state on my Resume that I work on the Research & Innovation team at the number one college in Ontario.
How do you feel about getting this job shortly after completing your program?
I chose to study Horticulture at Niagara College already knowing that the job market here needs people. I could not afford to not be employed after my graduation, because in my case (as an international student) I need a job offer to continue living legally in Canada.
I didn’t imagine that my first job right after graduation would be so fulfilling. I like the work environment, my co-workers, the facilities and especially the dynamic model we work in, where decisions are constantly being made, and we always need to stay in touch with the team to make sure we’re on the same page.
How long have you been working with research at NC? What do you find rewarding?
I’ve been working with HESIC since January 2022, and what I value the most is how the students’ opinions and suggestions are really taken into account when we have a challenging situation that needs a solution. The Research Leaders are really open to our ideas.
Working on Campus also allowed me to fill in the gaps on my timetable. Whenever I wasn’t in class I was working, I feel I used my time wisely.
Another aspect that I like to mention is the fact that the subjects dealt with in class were often directly applied at work and vice versa. This was very rich, the application of the knowledge acquired in class made the experience at HESIC much more rewarding.
Tell us about yourself and where you lived prior to enrolling at NC.
I studied Agriculture at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil 25 years ago, but my bachelor’s degree is in Communication. I ended up working for over 17 years in a large Brazilian bank and despite the comfortable life I had with my wife and 12 year old daughter, we decided to come and try to live a different lifestyle here in southern Ontario, where we can be closer to Nature, in a less intense rhythm than in my home country. We believe that Canada is a good country for my daughter to have a nicer life. I live in St. Catharines and love my new, more laid-back lifestyle.
Were you always interested in pursuing research?
Being a researcher was never in my plans, but as John Lennon’s lyrics say, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
I thought I would already be working in the horticulture industry in some private company, but life introduced me to HESIC and here I am for now. I still have a lot to learn to consider myself a legit Researcher, but every day I feel I am getting better, bit by bit.
