Maciel’s goal is to be a renowned scientist in her field, building on her successful 28-year career in conserving indigenous and adapted animal genetic resources. She plans to investigate what factors influence behavior, adaptation to environment, and performance of various cattle breeds. She also wants to examine how best to use the most suitable breeds sustainably. Maciel has been involved in community development programs related to cattle restocking. She worked on a charitable project, training abandoned children and adult staff how to manage their dairy cattle, from feeding to milking to data recording.