José A. Hernández

José A. Hernández has over 20 years of experience in the field of agronomy and soil science. José A. is currently the Director of Soil Science at EarthOptics, starting in 2023. Prior to that, they worked at Indigo as a Senior Agronomic Data Scientist from 2020 to 2023. In this role, they were responsible for creating data-driven insights to support the development of science-based agronomic decisions for Indigo Carbon. José A. also led initiatives related to soil carbon experiments and improvements to the carbon quantification pipeline.

Before joining Indigo, José worked at Farmers Edge from 2015 to 2020 in various roles. José A. started as a Regional Agronomist and then became the Lead Research Agronomist. In these positions, they led and collaborated with the Agronomy R&D team to develop science-based agronomic decision tools and products to improve crop quality and yield. José A. later became the Agronomy Research and Development Manager, responsible for strategic planning, project management, and validation of agronomical predictive tools through a network of verification sites.

José's career began at the University of Minnesota in 2001, where they held the position of Assistant/Associate Extension Professor focused on Nutrient Management. José A. provided state-wide education and outreach on nutrient management for crop and livestock producers. Prior to that, they worked as a Precision Agriculture Specialist/Lecturer/Postdoc and Graduate Research Assistant at the university.

José A. also gained experience as a Soil Fertility Research Scholar/Graduate Research Assistant at North Carolina State University and as a Research Agronomist at Palma Tica S.A.

Overall, José A. Hernández has a diverse range of experience in soil science, agronomy, and data-driven research to support sustainable and science-based decision-making in agriculture.

José A. Hernández earned their B.Sc. Honors degree in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources from Universidad EARTH, which they attended from 1993 to 1996. José A. then pursued further education and completed their Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Soil Science, Statistics, and Precision Agriculture at the University of Minnesota, where they were enrolled from 2001 to 2005.

In addition to their degrees, José A. Hernández has obtained several certifications throughout their career. José A. received the certification of Mini-Master of Project Management from the University of St. Thomas - Opus College of Business in November 2017. In May 2016, they completed the DSSAT 2016 International Training Program on assessing crop production, nutrient management, climatic risk, and environmental sustainability with simulation models at the University of Georgia.

Furthermore, in March 2013, José A. Hernández obtained the certification for the 4R Approach to Soil and Water Quality from the American Society of Agronomy. José A. also holds the certification of Certified Professional Agronomist (CCA-CPAg) from the same institution, which they acquired in March 2010.