Rafael Rodolfo de Melo graduated in forestry engineering from Universidade Federal de Campina Grande and received his Master’s degree (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria) and Ph.D. (University of New Brunswick) in wood science. He has worked as an assistant professor at Universidade Federal do Piauí (2010–2012) and an adjunct professor at Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (2012–2017). He is now an associate professor at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-arid Region, where he has worked since 2017.