Dr. Erin Haramoto receives a major teaching award

Dr. Erin Haramoto receiving her teaching award at the University of Kentucky

It’s raining awards here at RegenPGC! Another member of our research team has been honored by her university. Dr. Erin Haramoto (University of Kentucky) has received the University of Kentucky’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment  Master Teacher Award.Having seen Dr. Haramoto in action with members of our Graduate Education Community, especially Kiera Searcy and Hallie Sandeen, her RegenPGC graduate students at the University of Kentucky, we know this award is extremely well-deserved.

Awarded annually, the Master hashtag#Teacher Award recognizes outstanding teaching in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. Award criteria include “effectiveness in the classroom, dedication to students through activities in and out of the classroom, and evidence of activity to improve teaching.”

Learn more at https://www.morningagclips.com/uk-faculty-honored-with-2025-master-teacher-award-for-commitment-to-student-excellence/
(Photo: University of Kentucky)

Another RegenPGC graduate student selected for an important opportunity!

Memis Bilgici Headshot

With leadership from his graduate advisor and RegenPGC Co-Project Director Dr. Thomas Lubberstedt, Memiş Bilgici, a Ph.D student in our Breeding & Genetics Research Objective, has been selected for the Bayer Crop Sciences University Mentoring Program at Iowa State University. The Mentoring Program is a one-year experience designed for early-career scientists and engineers in various fields. Memiş will have extensive opportunities to build relationships, expand his professional network, and gain valuable industry experience. 

Memiş is part of our distinguished Graduate Education Community led by RegenCo-Project Director Dr. Ken Moore. Learn more about Memiş and his colleagues at https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/graduate-education-copy/.

Hallie Sandeen graduates from the University of KY

Hallie Sandeen graduation photo standing in corn

This holiday season, we celebrate the graduation of another member of our Graduate Education Community, Hallie Sandeen. Hallie has earned her Master’s degree from the University of Kentucky, where she was mentored by Dr. Erin Haramoto, Co-Project Director of RegenPGC. Hallie’s thesis, “Evaluation of Poaceae Species and Suppression Application Methods for Perennial Groundcover in Corn,” will contribute to the perennial ground cover research portfolio that our project is developing.

Hallie is the fifth graduate student to complete their degree with support from RegenPGC.

Hallie Sandeen, December 2025, Crop Ecology & Management (Master’s, University of Kentucky) – Dr. Erin Haramoto

Jack Moran, June 2025, Crop Ecology & Management (Master’s, Iowa State University) –  Drs. Susana Goggi & Ken Moore

Oluwatuyi (“Tuyi”) Olowoyeye, June 2025, Ecosystem Services and Modeling (Ph.D, Iowa State University) – Dr. Amy Kaleita

Max Eness, May 2025, Soil Health & Nutrient Management (Master’s, Iowa State University) – Dr. Marshall McDaniel

Kaila Topping, 2023 May, Ecosystem Services & Modelling (Master’s, University of Wisconsin, Madison) – Dr. Rob Anex

RegenPGC grad student Prathyusha Cheguri honored at CANVAS annual meeting

Prathyusha Cheguri at Tri Societies 2025

Congratulations to RegenPGC graduate student Prathyusha Cheguri. Her presentation, Unlocking Sexual Reproduction in Poa Bulbosa received a 1st place award in the “5-minute Rapid Crop Breeding and Genetics” oral competition at the recent 2025 CANVAS (formerly Tri Societies) Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City.

The meeting, now known as CANVAS and jointly hosted by the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America, is the premier meeting across the field of environmental sciences. According to the organizers, “CANVAS is equal parts science, networking, collaboration, and camaraderie.”  Every year, members of the RegenPGC team attend this meeting. We accept as many graduate students as possible.

You can learn more about Prathyusha’s award-winning presentation at https://www.regenpgc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025-11-11-Tri-Societies-Cheguri-Award-Winner.pdf

RegenPGC Team releases Year 4 Q 4 progress report

RegenPGC Yr 4 Q 4 Progress Report Cover

If it’s not documented … is it really complete? Who knows. However, here is our RegenPGC Year 4 Q4 Progress Report, and there is no doubt that we are learning more every day about perennial cover crops. You can access the report at https://www.regenpgc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/RegenPGC-Yr-4-Q4-Progress-Report.pdf.

The report is written in a bulleted, friendly format and divided by topics so you can find your perennial cover crop passion right away! Check out our Research Objectives and Themes:

Objectives: Obj. 1. Crop Ecology & Management, Obj. 2. Plant Breeding & Genetics, Obj. 3. Soil Health & Nutrient Management, Obj. 4. Ecosystem Services, Modeling, Obj. 5. Socioeconomic Impacts & Policy and Project Evaluation

Themes:  Research and Development, Extension, Education, and Commercialization

Dr. Cyndi Bartel featured in farm podcast

SARE podcast Flyer

RegenPGC CoPD Dr. Cynthia Bartel got the chance to explain the RegenPGC perennial ground cover vision in the Midwest Farm Report – Madison podcast.

Dr. Bartel tells it like it is when she says, “What we really want to achieve is land use sufficiency off the land, and doing that profitably. We want continuous living cover with year-round roots in a way that makes sense for farms.”

Check out the full story in this six-minute podcast, SARE Grants Turn Ideas Into Action At Hurtgenlea Holsteins” at https://omny.fm/shows/mid-west-farm-report-madison/sare-grants-turn-ideas-into-action-at-hurtgenlea-holsteins.

SeedWorld names RegenPGC CoPD Dr. Susana Goggi a top 50 woman

Susan Goggi award flyer

RegenPGC CoPd Dr. Susana Goggi was recently recognized by SeedWorld magazine as one of thirty “high-impact women” in the US seed industry. According to SeedWorld, Dr. Goggi and her distinguished peers have “carved out space in a field long dominated by others, proving that grit, skill, and collaboration are the true markers of excellence. From the lab to the boardroom, from seed physiology to supply chain, they are rewriting what impactful leadership looks like in our industry.”

Having Dr. Goggi on our team, we could not agree more with this assessment! Learn more about Dr. Goggi and the SeedWorld high-impact women’s group at: Nielson, Aimee (2025, September 23). A league of her own: 30 high-impact women. SeedWorld. https://www.seedworld.com/us/2025/09/23/shes-in-a-league-of-her-own-3/

Another honor for the RegenPGC grad student community

Yes, we are a research project, but we never forget that we are in the business of educating the next generation. In the summer, we mentor prospective STEM Education school teachers [See more at: https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/2023-ret-reu-programs-copy/]. But, all year round, our team mentors a talented group of graduate students in our Graduate Education Community.

Today, we celebrate Memiş Bilgici from our Breeding & Genetics Objective[See more at: https://www.regenpgc.org/objective-2-plant-breeding-and-genetics/], who presented this poster and was awarded a travel grant to Hawai’i: (Bilgici Memiş, Yu-Ru Chen, & Thomas Lübberstedt. (2025, May 19–23). Do we need dedicated maize varieties for perennial groundcover systems? [Poster]. 2025 National Association of Plant Breeders Annual Meeting, Kona, Hawa’i, United States).

Learn more by reading Memiş’ Poster Abstract at https://napbannualmeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/NAPB_2025_Booklet_Digital_VF2.pdf, Poster #50.

Jack Moran thesis is available for download

Jack Moran Master's Thesis

RegenPGC graduate student Jack Moran’s master’s thesis, Improving the establishment of Kentucky Bluegrass as a perennial groundcover, is now available to download at https://lnkd.in/gRUhFFDs

Jack’s key research takeaway is: “Strategies such as using Hydroloc™ seed treatment and optimizing seed ratios and rates can significantly improve the establishment of Kentucky bluegrass as a perennial groundcover in corn production.”

Additional topics discussed include:
– Seed treatments for crop establishment
– Impact of irrigation on plant growth
– Economic considerations in agricultural practices

Learn more about Jack and the entire RegenPGC Graduate Education Community at https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/graduate-education-copy/

Farewell and a new beginning!

Amy Kaleita and OLUWATUYI (“TUYI”) OLOWOYEYE

[2025-08-08 Reprinted from a LinkedIn Post by RegenCoPD, Dr. Amy Kaleita)

Today we’re saying farewell, thank you, congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Oluwatuyi Olowoyeye, who is leaving Iowa State to begin his next adventure as a postdoctoral scholar at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Vernon. He will do amazing things there, as he has done here. The first graduate student on the RegenPGC project, he helped set the tone for collaboration and outreach. As a member of the FFAR Fellows Program: Future Leaders for Food & Agriculture, he sought mentoring, mentored others, and charted a path towards impact in this field and beyond. He’s published two papers, one more in review, and one more in the late stages of manuscript. He’s written a successful grant that allowed him to augment his funded research with a related project of his own design. He’s been a leader on campus through our ABE Grad Organization and Tau Beta Pi Iowa Alpha, and nationally with the ASABE – American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Young Professionals Community. I don’t know how he did it all! It’s been a pleasure and an honor to be part of his journey.