Blog #4 Meet Yoel Gebrai

Yoel is a PhD Candidate in Civil Engineering at the University of South Florida (USF). His research interests are in life cycle sustainability assessments, systems thinking, the food-energy-water nexus, and sustainable agriculture. He has a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering and a minor in Geology from Louisiana State University. He also attended Clemson University, where he received a Masters in Hydrogeology. After graduating from Clemson in 2018, Yoel worked as a groundwater modeler for an environmental consulting company. In March 2020, he joined the Peace Corps as a Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer in Madagascar. Following Peace Corp’s worldwide emergency evacuation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he began his PhD at USF where he is pursuing the Engineering for International Development concentration.

Pre-departure thoughts:

I am really excited about going to Morocco and being a part of this program! I have never been to a North African country before, and I have heard a lot of great things about Morocco. Packing for this trip was a long process and I am relieved to have that behind me. I am looking forward to learning about Moroccan culture and completing my first international field research experience.