Soil health, soil carbon and nitrogen, multiagency collaboration, outreach
Education
M.S. Agricultural, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
B.S. Environmental Science, Environment and Society concentration, with a minor in Chemistry, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Previous Experience
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX
Conduct research and help gather data related to soil dynamic properties (DSPS) as part of the NRCS DSPS project. Focus on soil carbon and nitrogen response to strip tillage.
Research Assistant
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX
Processing soil samples, conducting heavy metal analysis, and doing translation of surveys, transcripts, and general data from English to Spanish.
Luz Ballesteros works as a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist at NCAT and has spent most of her career focused on community development and sustainability. Her cultural background inspires her to build networks that support both environmental and human health. Luz earned her Master of Science in Agricultural, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). She has worked on projects ranging from soil carbon sampling and data collection to auditing floodplain development in communities. At NCAT, she stays committed to community engagement by starting new projects, encouraging more Latino participation through events, and helping manage social media platforms. Fluent in English and Spanish, she connects with people from diverse backgrounds by using culturally relevant framing in both language and imagery.
