ABE student Xylia Greeson wins NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student Xylia Greeson is a recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
“I didn’t initially believe it,” Greeson said about when she first received the announcement. “It was a very pleasant surprise, and it will open so many more doors in the field. Being at Illinois, and now receiving this fellowship, has been a dream come true. I’m so thankful and blessed.”
The fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
Greeson is a master’s student in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE), part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and The Grainger College of Engineering at Illinois.
“ABE is in the middle of both colleges, and having resources from the two has been so cool,” Greeson said. “I really appreciate all the students I have gotten to teach and learn with, and all of the faculty and staff, too.”
Having grown up in a rural community, Greeson’s interest in agriculture started at a young age, and being at Illinois has further cultivated it. During a study abroad experience in Puerto Rico, Greeson helped build a rainwater harvest system for a local school, and she said seeing the direct benefits to the students inspired her current work.
She hopes to give back to the community that raised her — and the rest of the world’s producers — through her research: drainage water recycling.
Illinois has a naturally high water table, so many farms rely on artificial tile drainage to lower the excess water levels. That excess water can be captured, stored, and used later on. Greeson is exploring the best recycling methods in partnership with Nutrien Ag Solutions. Her work also involves determining the most effective water-table depth for producers — while balancing crop yield and environmental effects.
“In the future, we hope to set up demo plots for local farmers to see the system and how it would work,” Greeson said. “After all, that’s our end goal, to help Illinois farmers increase their yield while reducing their management workload.”
In addition to her family and father, who have supported her through all of her endeavors, Greeson said that her research mentor, Luciano Alves de Oliveira, assistant professor in ABE, has been crucial to her success.
After taking one of his classes, Greeson joined his research group, and he was one of the first people to encourage her to apply to the fellowship.
“He is such an amazing role model,” Greeson said. “He’s always so excited to share his expertise, and he’s also always excited to learn more every day. I hope I emulate that same passion in my career.”
Alves de Oliveira described Greeson as an “exceptionally curious student” who consistently surpasses his expectations.
As a transfer student from Lake Land College, where she played NJCAA Division I volleyball, Greeson is no stranger to balancing a busy schedule. After coming to Illinois as an undergraduate, she said the discipline she learned as a student-athlete has helped her thrive.
While the transition from Lake Land College — about 4,000 students — to Illinois was drastic, Greeson said ABE’s size made it less jarring. With a graduating class of just 12 people, the small community helped her feel like she had a second home on campus.
Now, she is excited for what each day will bring.
“I learn something new every day — especially in fieldwork,” Greeson said. “If you make a mistake or something breaks, the most important thing is showing up the next day to keep working on it. When a project does start coming together, those days are so much more rewarding, knowing the hard work you and your teammates put into it.”