Her Story
About Tami
Tami Brown-Brandl is a Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she has been a faculty member since January 2019. Before joining the university, she worked for 20 years as an Agricultural Engineer at the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. She earned an AA degree from a community college, a bachelor's degree in biological systems engineering, a dual master's degree in Ag Engineering and Animal Science, and a PhD in ag engineering from the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on applying technology such as sensors, cameras, and AI to monitor livestock including pigs, cattle, and poultry for improved animal well-being. She has coached middle school robotics for 18 years and values giving back by inspiring young people to pursue engineering.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tami
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Find your passion. God first, family second, work third. Don't forget that. That doesn't mean you don't have to work hard, that doesn't mean you don't have to work on weekends sometimes, but know your priorities.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Work hard. Build your own program. You will have to do a lot of reading and research and build your own knowledge background. I would really love to see more women in engineering fields. Especially girls have the vision and the art to add the flair to engineering that the men don't have.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include keeping equipment up and running and gathering data consistently. Opportunities are in this relatively new field as the public gets more interested in animal well-being. With farms getting bigger, we use technology like sensors and cameras to be the eyes and ears of animal caretakers 24/7. AI is making diving into the data easier to see more anomalies.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
It's important to always give back, always help inspire young people. Coaching robotics for middle school kids to consider engineering, and guiding graduate students by letting them guide the process and helping their learning.
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