Alicia grew up in the Dominican Republic, interning with Instituciones Pecuarias Dominicanas (IPD) upon completion of her undergraduate program.  IPD develops high-quality products and services for the Dominican livestock market.  After completing her internship, Alicia worked as a production manager at Agropecuaria Bautista, the third largest hog farm in the Dominican Republic, where she gained experience in swine production and animal health, as well as learning the value of teamwork.

Alicia attended several seminars in the Dominican Republic, where Dr. Ellis was a presenter.  She became interested in the program after learning about the unique experiences graduate students have, conducting research under commercial conditions and gaining more knowledge and experience in management practices.  She hopes to develop and enhance her knowledge of the animal production field, which she plans to use to help improve the production systems in the Dominican Republic.