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/

RegenPGC interns and mentors get deserved recognition

It’s easy to get jaded in the age of endless social media, but we never tire of seeing our team recognized for its research, extension, education, and outreach efforts!

Today, our Education Team gets a shoutout from the Iowa State University Marketing and Communications Division and from Axios in the article, “Summer research program for teachers brings ISU science to K-12 classrooms.”

The article features Iowa State’s participation in the national REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates )and RET (Research Experience for Teachers programs. At RegenPGC, our team members provide mentorship for three RETs and 5 REUs. Mentees benefit, mentors benefit. It’s the ultimate educational win-win.

Check out the full article at https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/summer-research-program-teachers-brings-isu-science-k-12-classrooms. Learn more about our REUs and RETs at https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/2023-ret-reu-programs-copy/

Meet teacher Elisa “Ellie” Soosloff

Ellie Soosloff 2025 RET

Meet high school math teacher Elisa “Ellie” Soosloff, a professional educator who loves a full workload!

Elisa “Ellie” Soosloff, Creston High School, Creston, Iowa

I am a high school math teacher in Creston, Iowa, entering my 5th year of teaching. I grew up in Elgin, Illinois, and moved to Iowa for college, where I attended Drake University, completing a BA in Mathematics and a Spanish Minor alongside my BSE in Secondary Education. This past summer, I also finished my MA in Mathematics through Texas A&M to begin offering Calc 1, College Algebra, and Statistics for community college credit at Creston High School. I also teach Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calc, and Probability & Statistics. It’s a full load, but I love it!

I applied to the RET program because… I have a passion for continuing my learning and being able to show my students not only why the math works how it does, but how it can be applied. I always love telling my students about how math and STEM are constantly growing and changing, and what better way to do that than to go help grow and develop research myself.

My expectations of the RET program are… to develop my knowledge about how research is done this summer. I’m excited to gain experience and make connections with other teachers and researchers to learn everything that I can. I’m especially looking forward to potentially developing something I could take back to my own classroom.

How do you see this experience impacting your classroom? I would love to incorporate more cross-curricular and project-based learning into my classroom and begin to introduce the students to areas of STEM that they don’t get to explore as commonly at the high school level. I believe this experience will be a great way to collaborate with other STEM areas and begin developing those kinds of materials based on the research descriptions involving creating and implementing classroom activities.

Meet future teacher Alex Haus

Alex Haus 2025 REU

Every teacher has a story, and everyone who wants to become a teacher has their own inspiration. Learn what drives Alex Haus, a 2025 RegeNPGC “Research Experience for Undergraduates” participant.

Alex Haus, Wartburg College

I grew up in the small town of Charles City, Iowa. I’m a first-year student at Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa), studying to become a middle school teacher with a focus on grades 5–8 science and math, along with a coaching endorsement. While I’m still gaining experience, I’m passionate about education and excited to help future students grow. I have a twin, and I’ve ridden in RAGBRAI twice, an experience that really challenged and inspired me. In my free time, I love fishing, listening to music, and playing the ukulele.

I applied to the REU program because… of my desire to gain useful experience in math and science that I can bring into my future classroom. As someone who will be teaching middle school in the future, I understand that real-world learning, particularly in STEM, often requires trial and error and, at times, failure. I want to demonstrate to my students that failure is not the end but rather a component of the learning process. I am aware that I will encounter challenges and difficulties in this program, and I am confident that those experiences will improve my teaching abilities. When I tackle challenges on my own, I can assist my students in grasping that making mistakes, looking for assistance, and endurance are all accepted actions. It is just as important to learn how to fail in the future as it is to reach the appropriate response. I desire for my classroom to be a space in which students feel safe, curious, and supported, particularly when challenges arise.

My expectations from the REU program are… to gain real-world experience in science and math from the summer RET/REU program that I can use in my future classroom. I also look forward to the chance to collaborate with others from around the country, working together with people I have yet to meet. I think collaborating with people from various backgrounds and viewpoints will be extremely beneficial. Not only will it assist me in getting new ideas and methods, but it will also prompt me to communicate and resolve issues in ways that may vary from my regular procedures.

Why do you want to become a teacher? My decision to become a STEM teacher stems from a strong desire to learn and share knowledge. STEM topics always attracted my interest because of their ability to tackle current issues and promote creativity. I hope to inspire the next generation of thinkers and innovators by making these topics more approachable and entertaining. Teaching allows you to spark students’ interest, assist them in understanding complex ideas, and promote critical thinking and problem-solving—all of which are essential abilities in any field.

Meet teacher Jessica Garland

Jessica Garland headshot

Kids need hands-on experiences to maximize their opportunities to learn new concepts. That idea comes through loud and clear from 2025 RegenPGC Research Experience for Teachers participant Jessica Garland. We believe that with the help of her RegenPGC mentors, Dr. Richard Roth and graduate student Alioune Diopp, her summer experiences will serve both her and her students well! Learn more about our two summer programs, the Research Experience for Teachers and the Research Experience for Undergraduates, at https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/2023-ret-reu-programs-copy/.

Jessica Garland… I grew up in Johnston, Iowa, and currently live in Ankeny, Iowa, with my husband and three kids. I earned my degree in Elementary Education from Iowa State University and later completed my master’s degree at Viterbo University. I’ve been teaching 5th grade for 15 years and love engaging students across all subject areas. In addition to classroom teaching, I also run a science and engineering club that brings hands-on STEM experiences to young learners. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family, being outdoors, and finding creative ways to make learning exciting. Something unexpected about me? I love to garden —it’s my favorite way to relax and reconnect with nature.

I applied to the RET program because… I’m passionate about bringing real-world, hands-on learning opportunities to my students. I’m always looking for ways to deepen my understanding of STEM concepts so I can better engage and inspire young learners. This project is a great opportunity to grow professionally, collaborate with others, and bring fresh, research-based ideas back to my classroom.

My expectations of the RET program are… to gain new insights and practical strategies to make STEM learning more meaningful and engaging for my students. I’m also excited to collaborate with other educators and bring back fresh ideas to enhance my teaching and science club activities.

How do you see this experience impacting your classroom? I see this experience having an impact on my classroom by enriching my teaching with real-world scientific applications and research-based practices. By engaging in hands-on research, I will be able to bring authentic STEM experiences to my students, making science more engaging, relevant, and inquiry-driven. I plan to integrate what I learn into my lessons, incorporating more hands-on experiments, problem-solving activities, and connections to real scientific careers.

Meet teacher Denise Rogers

Denise Rogers headshot

All the way from Virginia to Iowa! That’s how far high school teacher Denise Rogers has traveled to join the 2025 RegenPGC Research Experience for Teachers. Learn more about Denise and her extensive educational background.

I am a native of Orange County, California. I earned a BS in biology education (Claflin University). I taught in South Carolina for 5 years. I have also earned an MA in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in environmental science and administration (Virginia Commonwealth University) and an MS in pharmacy with a concentration in forensic science (University of Florida). I have over 30 years of experience teaching middle school science, high school biology, anatomy, forensic science, ecology, and high school summer remediation science classes. I have also served as an instructional specialist for math and science and taught science courses for students in grades 6 –12 in an alternative school setting. I also taught science at ChallengeU, an online graduation recovery program. During the spring of 2019, I earned an educational specialist degree in curriculum and instruction. Currently, I teach high school biology and AP environmental science for Richmond City Public Schools in Richmond, VA. The love that I have for science and children can be seen as I expose students to new and exciting concepts and share my travels and research experiences with everyone.

I applied to the RET program because… I have always enjoyed incorporating biotechnology into my lessons, and I am always looking for new and innovative approaches to teaching. I want to participate in this RET Program to open the possibilities to expose myself and my students to innovative ways to incorporate hands-on laboratory activities and add excitement to learning and teaching new concepts. In addition, I would like to develop useful curriculum materials based on the new concepts that I learn.

My expectations of the RET program are… to learn new procedures, techniques, and research material/practices while networking with other teachers and mentors.

How do you see this experience impacting your classroom? My students will benefit from having additional resources and ways to explore science topics that break the traditional direct instruction model. Opportunities such as this can help to maintain a student-centered learning environment and expose students to new, cutting-edge experiences and techniques.

Meet Kylie Bucholz, future STEM teacher

Kylie Bucholz headshot

Meet RegenPGC Research Experience for Undergraduates intern Kylie Bucholz. She will be mentored this summer by RegenPGC researchers Dr. Shui-zhang Fei and graduate student Cameron Krumm. Here is Kylie in her own words:

I am currently a 2nd year Elementary Education Major attending Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa).  I am pursuing my K-8 Reading Endorsement and my Middle School Math and Science Endorsement. I am originally from Cedar Falls, Iowa. In my free time, I love to sing songs with my friends, ride my bike with my family, and color pictures!

I applied to the REU program because…  I think it will be a great experience that pushes me to become a better teacher while in a structured environment. This program will allow me to complete hands-on research that I can reference when I am working with my own students in the future. Additionally, this experience will push me out of my comfort zone by placing me in a new place where I will have to learn how to navigate around both Ames and Iowa State.

My expectations from the REU program are… to include many activities that will help develop me as a future educator, being put in situations that push me and are out of my comfort zone, and lots of learning! I will be completing research and attending professional development events, both of which will be completed alongside others, so we can learn together!

Why do you want to become a teacher? Ever since I was in 3rd grade, I knew I wanted to become a teacher, but it wasn’t always going to be in a STEM field. I didn’t decide I wanted to become a teacher in a STEM field until last year, but the idea had been growing on me since middle school. While I was growing up, I always excelled in my STEM classes and found myself wanting to learn more. This was due to my amazing teachers in elementary and middle school. My teachers were able to figure out what I enjoyed and relate my assignments to those things. They gave me extension activities to ensure I was being pushed to my full potential, and they supported me as a whole human, not just as a student.

Additionally, they encouraged me to join the robotics team at my school. By joining this team, I was able to push myself to do my best and think outside of the box when faced with challenges. It also allowed me to see how science and math have practical applications. Due to the amazing experiences I had growing up with my STEM teachers, the idea of becoming one grew on me. Finally, last year I had multiple different people mention to me that I would be a good science teacher and encourage me to explore that route. Ultimately, I have decided to take that route. I now want to become a middle school science teacher so I can encourage my future students to explore their passions and interests the same way that my teachers did for me. I also want to show them that they can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it. The STEM experiences that I had growing up had a huge impact on my decision to teach in a STEM field, and I want to ensure that other kids are able to have these same (or similar) experiences that I did.

 

Reporting research makes it real!

“Above all else, show the data.” (Edward R. Tufte). We agree! This is why we share our progress reports and all our research updates. Our Year 4 Q3 report shows our team moving towards our goal of “creating well-adapted PGC systems for a range of farm operations that require low labor inputs, provide significant ecosystem benefits, increase row crop resiliency, and have similar economic profiles as conventional row crop practices.”

You can check out our Year 4 Q3 report here. We think you will also conclude that we continue demonstrating strong momentum, with significant achievements across all five research objectives and four cross-cutting themes. RegenPGC is effectively transitioning from foundational research to practical application and knowledge transfer, positioning itself well for Year 5!

Field Day Season is Here!

Dan Andersen leads field day class

It’s not just summer; it’s field day season! Field days are our opportunity to share information about our project with folks working in agriculture. It’s the ultimate win-win —we share information and get feedback from people making a living from the land.

Our first field day event of the year, on June 20th, just north of Waterloo, IA, was a joint project with our colleagues at the Blackhawk Soil & Water Conservation District, who are leading the CIG grant*. We anticipate hosting several field days during the fall. Follow us on LinkedIn and BlueSky Social (‪@regenpgc.bsky.social‬) for updates, or shoot us an email for more details as they become available.

The turnout was excellent – we had a great turnout of farmers, NRCS folks, and ISU-PGC faculty, staff, and grad students. RegenPGC CoPD Marshall McDaniel (Soil Health & Nutrient Management) brought several team members. Graduate student Cameron Krumm (Plant Breeding & Genetics) was also able to accompany RegenPGC Project Director Raj Raman and CoPd Dan Andersen (Extension Theme).

The day’s highlight was the presentations by RegenPGC Collaborator Brent Wilson (Corteva, ret.) and Dan Andersen. Unfortunately, the morning’s torrential rains precluded a visit to Rick Rottinghaus’ fields. Still, they didn’t impact the fantastic hospitality of Rick and his spouse Mona, along with the organizational help from NRCS staff members Shaffer Ridgeway and Jenna Curran.

*Perennial Groundcover: A Scalable Systems Approach to Achieving Soil & Water Conservation with High-Yield, Row Crop Production in Iowa (Blackhawk Soil & Water Conservation District)

Seed Science Center recognizes RegenPGC’s Amina Moro

Amina Moro in the lab

This article is a reprint from the Iowa State University Seed Center, originally published online May 6, 2025.

Shedding Light on Shade Avoidance: Seed Scientist Studies Corn’s Early Stress Signals | Seed Science Center

AMES, IA – In the glow of the Seed Science Center’s growth chambers, graduate student Amina Moro is hard at work uncovering how corn responds to one of its earliest stress signals—shade.

Moro, an international student from Ghana and a graduate assistant to Professor Susana Goggi, is investigating the Shade Avoidance Response (SAR) in corn. This phenomenon, triggered when corn perceives competition from nearby plants, causes the crop to adjust its growth—often in counterproductive ways.

“When corn senses that it’s being shaded by nearby vegetation, it reacts quickly,” said Moro. “It starts reallocating energy to grow taller or change its leaf angles in an effort to capture more light. But that comes at a cost—less energy goes into producing strong roots or healthy grain.”

Her research focuses on how SAR is triggered when corn is grown in proximity to perennial grasses, specifically rye. These interactions are particularly relevant as farmers increasingly adopt cover cropping systems for soil health, which often include species like rye.

“In our study, we’re trying to pinpoint the exact distance at which corn begins to detect the presence of rye and initiates the shade avoidance response,” explained Moro. “We planted the corn and rye in separate containers and placed them at different distances from one another to isolate above-ground competition.”

By using controlled lighting and a strategic container setup, Moro can monitor changes in red to far-red light ratios—the signal plants use to detect nearby competitors. This enables her to identify not only when SAR is triggered but which parts of the corn plant respond first.

“We’re looking at how the plant reallocates its resources—whether it prioritizes stem elongation, leaf development, or other changes,” she said. “Ultimately, we hope this data helps farmers and researchers better understand how to manage competition in early corn development without sacrificing yield.”

As Moro continues her work, she’s optimistic about how these findings could inform smarter planting strategies in diversified cropping systems.

“Coming from Ghana, where smallholder farmers often grow multiple crops together, I understand how important it is to make intercropping work,” she said. “I’m excited to contribute research that could help make these systems more productive and sustainable.”

About the Seed Science Center

The Seed Science Center at Iowa State University is a national and international center of excellence in seed research, education, technology transfer, and global seed programs.

 Contact: Cynthia Hicks, Seed Science Center, 515-296-5386, cghicks@iastate.edu