Kalidas Mainali, Ph.D., is an ORISE postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. He is stationed at the USDA ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, where Mainali is studying methods for creating biofuels and other valuable resources from agricultural waste. Mainali is a native of Nepal who also studied in Scotland, so he brings a wealth of world-wise experience to his research, but says that he ultimately decided to pursue his Ph.D. in the United States because of the extensive research opportunities available here. In this conversation, Mainali talks about his educational journey, his relationships with his mentors, and his plans for the future.

To learn more about ORISE opportunities at the USDA ARS, visit https://orise.orau.gov/usda-ars/index.html