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Basics

Name Mariaelisa Polsinelli
Label PhD Student
Email mariaelisa.polsinelli@mail.mcgill.ca
Url https://marpols.github.io/
Summary Agro-Ecosystem Modeller and Data Scientist

Education

  • 2022 - Present

    Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC., Canada

    PhD
    McGill University - McDonald Campus
    Crop Modelling and Machine Learning
  • 2018 - 2021

    Guelph, ON., Canada

    B. Sc. (Agr.)
    University of Guelph
    Crop, Horticulture and Turfgrass science
  • 2011 - 2016

    Toronto, ON., Canada

    B. Sc.
    University of Toronto - St. George
    Computer Science and Linguistics

Work

  • 2022.05 - 2022.09
    Research Assistant
    Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
    Implemented improvements to the Microsoft PowerBI weather dashboard, an interactive data visualization tool of weather and pest forecasts and trends created during previous employment with OMAFA
    • Data Analysis
    • Microsoft Power BI
  • 2020.09 - present
    Research Assistant
    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Affiliate
    Application of process-based crop model STICS, traditional machine learning algorithms and reinforcement learning in order to analyse and solve irrigation decision making challenges for potato crops in Prince Edward Island, Canada
    • Crop Modelling
    • Machine Learning
    • Data Analysis
    • GIS
  • 2020.05 - 2020.09
    Research Assistant
    Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and the University of Guelph
    Scouted Brassica and Allium crops in Southern Ontario for pests and disease and Established an interactive Microsoft Power BI data visualization tool for weather and pest forecasts and trends, enabling easier access and comparison between climate and pest trends
    • Crop Scouting
    • Field Trials
    • Data Collection
    • Data Analysis
    • Microsoft Power BI

Volunteer and Related Experience

  • 2023 - 2024
    Student Representative
    Canadian Society of Agriculture and Forest Meteorology
  • 2019.11 - 2020.03
    Data Colletion
    University of Guelph Efficient Dairy Genome Project
    Volunteer data collector for the Efficient Dairy Genome Project, which seeks to "Provide cost-effective, genomic-based methods to allow selection of dairy cattle with improved feed efficiency and lower methane emissions"
    • Operate a Greenfeed system which measures gas fluxes from large, individual, ruminant animals as they eat.
    • Record observations of animal behaviour during feeding

Teaching

  • 2025 - Fall
    Teaching Assistant
    McGill University
    BREE 533
    Water Quality Management
  • 2024 - Winter
    Teaching Assistant
    McGill University
    COMP 360
    Algorithm Design
  • 2024 - Fall
    Teaching Assistant
    McGill University
    BREE 533
    Water Quality Management
  • 2023 - Fall
    Teaching Assistant
    McGill University
    BREE 533
    Water Quality Management

Awards

  • 2024 to 2026
    McGill Graduate Excellence Award
    McGill University
    $10,000
    Merit-based departmental award recognizing outstanding graduate students.
  • 2023 to 2025
    Graduate Research Enhancement and Travel (GREAT) Awards
    McGill University
    $1,300
    Awarded to a limited number of students to support conference attendance.
  • 2023 and 2024
    Graduate Student Mobility Award
    McGill University
    $1,500
    Awarded to support travel for research exchange to Prince Edward Island.
  • 2023
    CSAFM-SCMAF Student Travel Award
    Canadian Society of Agriculture and Forest Meteorology/ La société canadienne de météorologie agricole et forestière
    $500
    Competitive award granted to one student, based on abstract submission, to support conference participation.
  • 2020
    RB Palmer Horticultural Scholarship
    University of Guelph
    $1,000
    Competitive award granted to one student with the highest cumulative average with interest in horticulture, plant breeding, or plant genetics
  • 2020
    William Godfrey Memorial
    University of Guelph
    $1,500
    Competitive award granted to one student with demonstrated interest in horticultural Science through work experience, volunteerism, and/or extracurricular involvement

Service

  • 2025
    Reviewer
    Agricultural Water Management

Skills

Programming
R
Python
SQL
Bash
PyTorch
Matplotlib
Seaborn
Pandas
ggplot2
GIS
ArcGIS Pro
arcpy
Crop Models
STICS
RZWQM2
Data Analysis
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Excel
Field and Lab Work
Microbiological Culture
Biological Water Sampling
Calibration and Maintenance of pH, DO Meters
Field Trial Experimental Design

Languages

English
Native speaker
Italian
B2
French
A2/B1
Spanish
A2
German
A1