Celina Gomez

Purdue University

Associate professor

What professional and/or personal accomplishments are you most proud of?

• Seeing my students succeed in life, both professionally and personally
• Being offered the opportunity to join the faculty at my Ph.D. alma mater, Purdue University
• Becoming a colleague to my mentors — having developed great friendships with my mentors

What led you to work in the horticulture industry? 

• My father studied agricultural sciences, so I grew up hearing stories about his fun times in college.
• While studying the same, I fell in love with hydroponics and decided to pursue horticulture as a major in graduate school. 

What’s the best thing about your job? 

• That I get to learn from a variety of people, including industry members, research colleagues and students in the classroom or laboratory.

Describe to a 6-year-old what you do in life? 

• I am a professor at a university and I teach students how to grow plants indoors.
• We look for ways to help plant growers make good use of technology. 

What are your favorite hobbies? 

• Swimming
• Traveling
• Eating

When you’re not working, what are two to three things we could find you doing? 

• Walking my dogs
• Swimming, biking and running
• Chatting with family or friends

Do you have any unusual talents, or can you tell us something interesting about yourself that other people may be surprised to find out? 

• I started doing triathlons when I was a Ph.D. student. I stopped for 10 years and picked it up again in 2022.
• I recently completed my first half Ironman and I’m considering doing a full Ironman for my 40th birthday. 

One thing you can’t live without? 

• My two dogs

What are you (un)secretly good at? 

• I make the best lasagna.

What are your top three bucket list items? 

• Buy beachfront property in my home country of Costa Rica
• Work at an animal sanctuary after I retire
• Complete a full Ironman in Italy

What’s your favorite plant variety and why? 

• Ginkgo biloba because it has so many unique characteristics and the prettiest fall color. 

You’re buying a vacation package to anywhere in the world without a budget, where are you going? 

• Somewhere in Africa to visit a wildlife reserve