Professor Bernardo is passionate about teaching, and is an old-school professor who favors chalk + chalkboard + eraser in an active-learning format. He teaches three courses at the University of Minnesota:

• Breeding for Quantitative Traits in Plants (Agro 8202, 3 credits) Graduate students learn how quantitative genetics principles are helpful in designing and implementing a breeding program.
• Professional Skills for Scientists (CFAN 8101, 2 credits) This course helps prepare graduate students for their future careers. Specific goals are to increase student awareness and improve student skills in leading people, and in managing money, time, operations, and projects.
• Coffee from the Ground Up (AGRO 1921, 2 credits) This freshman seminar is all about coffee: its history, geography, biology, breeding, production, processing, economics, sustainability, and brewing. Through team exercises, students discover how measurable qualities of a cup of coffee are influenced by factors such as species, type of roast, grind size, brew ratio, temperature, and brewing method. The course culminates in a team competition on making the best coffee as judged by a panel.