Luana was born in Pernambuco state, Northeastern Brazil, where she earned her B.S. degree in Animal Sciences in 2018 from UFRPE. During her studies, she participated in a study-abroad internship at the University of Florida (UF) focused on forage management. From her freshman year, Luana actively engaged in extension and research programs, which deepened her interest in these areas. She returned to UF to pursue her Master’s and PhD in Forage Management, completing her master’s degree in August 2021. Her research examined performance and nitrogen dynamics in grass-legume systems.

Luana continued her academic journey and earned her doctoral degree in August 2025. Her doctoral research explored the multifunctional benefits of integrated crop-livestock (ICL) systems, contrasting the use of cover crops, inclusion of forage legumes, and the grazing component, as well as their overall impact on row-crop performance.

Currently, Luana serves as the Alfalfa Outreach Specialist for the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension within the Crop and Soils Program, a position she began in August 2025. She is passionate about contributing to the significant research efforts on alfalfa happening nationwide. Luana is eager to leverage her expertise as a grassland scientist to address the challenges of alfalfa growth through effective collaboration with stakeholders and impactful extension outreach.

Luana is based in central Wisconsin and can be reached at luana.queiroz@wisc.edu.