Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) applied to the quantification of elements in fertilizers

Abstract

I would like to first thank the University of São Paulo (USP), for the opportunity in letting me become a part of its institution. Completing a Masters program at USP was more than just an academic experience; it was a life changing experience. I was born in the United States of America and before USP, I had never done an academic program abroad, but after my experience at USP I realized how important cultural exchanges are in addition to academic exchanges. As part of the Masters program in chemistry at the Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC) I received not only an academic education, but a valuable life education that touched on various aspects of my life; I gained so much as part of the USP community that it exceeded my expectations and I am thankful to USP for allowing me to do that. I also want to thank Dr. Emmanuel Carrilho from the Chemistry Department, this professor was helpful and supportive of my decision to attend USP since day 1, I can honestly say that without him, I would have never had the courage to leave my country for so long and come to Brazil. Dr. Carrilho made me feel a sense of comfort and with him by my side I rarely dealt with the difficult transitions that sometimes arise with moving to another country. Everything I learned about myself or through the academic education I attained can be partly due to him because none of it would have happened without him and I am not sure he realizes how much of a positive impact his support had on me. Lastly, I want to thank Embrapa and my supervisor Dr. Débora Milori for the opportunity in letting me do my research project at the institution in São Carlos, São Paulo (Embrapa Instrumentaçao). While at Embrapa I was able to academically evolve and attain a great amount of knowledge. I was fortunate to be part of a large research group that mainly consisted of people who were higher than me in academic level, which allowed me to learn from them and their academic experiences.