The experiences and adventures of her childhood in Diamantina were decisive for the curious character and passion for the nature of scientist Celina Rodrigues. It’s safe to say that the first steps in her career as an environmental engineer were taken with waterfall baths and bike trails through the Minas Gerais savannah when she was still a child.

Graduated in environmental engineering at the Centro Universitário de Sete Lagoas from Fundação Educacional Monsenhor Messias, Rodrigues completed her master’s degree in Meteorology at the Federal University of Campina Grande and her doctorate in remote sensing at the National Institute for Space Research in São Paulo. During her academic training, the engineer had two periods abroad, the first at the University of Manitoba in Canada and a sandwich period at the University of Kansas, United States.

By analyzing satellite data, her project seeks to measure the impacts of the release of carbon dioxide in different biomes — a fundamental study to mitigate the effects of climate change on Brazilian ecology. Outside the laboratories, the engineer likes to travel and renew the connection with nature created in her childhood. Long walking and cycling trails are always in her leisure plans.