Dr. Antonio Faciola earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Sciences from the Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He is currently an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director at the University of Florida. The overarching goal of his lab is to improve the efficiency of nutrient utilization in ruminants. Since 2013, he has secured over 6 million dollars in funding, published 93 peer-reviewed articles, and presented over 40 invited talks in 10 countries. He teaches undergrad and grad students and has mentored 10 MS students, 11 Ph.D. students, 30 visiting scholars, 7 postdocs, and 87 undergrads in his lab. He has mentored individuals from 23 countries and received several awards including: the 2018 Lallemand Forward Award for Scientific Excellence, the 2019 Mentor of the Year at UF Animal Sciences, the 2020 Cargill Animal Nutrition Young Scientist Award, and the 2020 Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year at the University of Florida.