This year, the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences selected Guilherme Chudzik for the Agronomy Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Each year, the department’s graduate studies committee awards a student who excels in their research, academic work, and department engagement.
Chudzik is an agronomy doctoral student advised by Dr. Rodrigo Werle in the Research & Extension Cropping Systems Weed Science Program (WiscWeeds). Chudzik’s research focuses on improving integrated weed management in soybean production through the planting green conservation system, where soybean is planted into a cereal rye cover crop before it is terminated. His research integrates cover crops and residual herbicides to improve waterhemp management while maintaining soybean yield. As part of coordinated multistate projects involving more than ten universities, he is evaluating cereal rye termination timing and herbicide programs to improve weed suppression, reduce overreliance on postemergence herbicides, and develop research-based recommendations for growers across the Midwest.
In 2025, Chudzik was selected as a Fellow in the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Fellows Program. The three-year program provides leadership and professional development training while pairing fellows with academic and industry mentors. Through the program, Chudzik works with mentors from academia and the crop protection industry to strengthen his leadership, communication, and professional skills alongside his doctoral research.
After completing his PhD, Chudzik plans to pursue a career in crop protection research and development, with a focus on creating practical and sustainable weed management solutions for growers