From Arizona to Iowa: Meet Kaylee

Kaylee Johnson

From sunny and DRY Arizona to humid Iowa can be a bit of schock in the summer, but having met 2026 Research Undergraduate Intern and future math teacher Kaylee Johnson, we are sure she will take the change in stride.

Kaylee comes to Iowa State University from Northern Arizona University. Here at ISU, Kaylee will work with RegenPGC Collaborator, Dr. Richard Roth and the staff at the Iowa State University Biotechnology Outreach Education Center. We look forward to an excellent summer experience for Kaylee and the entire REU class!

Meet Research Intern Kaylee Johnson

Brief Bio.  I am currently a junior at Northern Arizona University studying Mathematics and Secondary Education with the goal of becoming a high school math teacher. I grew up in Gilbert and later moved to Flagstaff to attend college. Alongside school, I am also a licensed hairstylist and enjoy doing hair part-time while pursuing my degree. I recently began my practicum experience, where I have worked in both science and math classrooms, which has strengthened my passion for teaching and working with students.

Outside of academics and work, I enjoy watching movies and TV shows, working out, and spending quality time with friends and family. Something unexpected about me is that even though I am a huge math enthusiast, geometry is actually my least favorite area of math.

Why I applied… I applied because I wanted the opportunity to explore science in a deeper and more hands-on way. I have always enjoyed physics and even considered minoring in it at one point. I believe this program will help me expand my knowledge and experience within the science field while also strengthening my background as a future math educator.

Math and science naturally connect, and participating in science-based research will allow me to bring more real-world applications and interdisciplinary learning into my future classroom. I am excited to challenge myself, grow academically, and gain experiences that will help me become a more well-rounded educator.

My expectations for the REU program include… My expectations include gaining new knowledge, experiences, and friendships while growing both personally and academically. I hope to learn more about the science field and discover new ways I can apply research and problem-solving skills to my future classroom. I also want to step outside of my comfort zone, contribute meaningfully to the program, and make the most of the opportunity while enjoying the experience along the way.

New research informs how corn and perennial groundcover can coexist

Amina Moro in the lab

Today, we honor RegenPGC Graduate Education Community member Amina Moro and her work on corn’s “Shade Avoidance Response.” Iowa State University – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recognized Amina’s work by featuring her in the article, “New research shows finding the ‘sweet spot’ is key to successful groundcover systems.” See: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/2026/new-research-shows-finding-sweet-spot-key-successful-groundcover-systems

Amina’s work informs how corn behaves when perennial groundcover is located in proximity to it. As the article specifies, “The practical applications of this research are clear. By maintaining a small buffer zone – around 25 centimeters – farmers can prevent early stress signals in corn while still benefiting from soil protection.”

According to Amina, “Farmers do not have to choose between improving soil health and maintaining yield,” Moro said. “With the right combination of spacing, hybrid selection, and management practices, it is possible to design systems where corn grows efficiently while the soil remains protected.”

Learn more about the science behind Amina’s work in her recently published paper in the Journal of Agronomy, “Spatial Proximity to Perennial Groundcover Triggers Shade Avoidance Responses in Corn” (https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/16/7/729).

RegenPGC research team releases latest progress report

Great news! Our RegenPGC research team has just shared our latest progress report. This report, which highlights our research, education, and extension efforts from August to October 2025, is designed to be easy to follow.

This report keeps our agency funder, USDA-NIFA, in the loop, and it’s also a way for the public, who supports our work, to stay informed.

You can find the report on our website at https://www.regenpgc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-01-30-RegenPGC-YR-5-Q1-FINAL.pdf

Contact: Dr. Raj Raman, Iowa State University Dept. of Agriculture & BioSystems Engineering rajraman@iastate.edu

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.

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.

RegenPGC Airs Webinar Series Jan-Feb 2025

Week 2 of our January- February 2025 Webinar Series, “UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF PERENNIAL GROUNDCOVERS IN CORN AND CORN/SOYBEAN PRODUCTION SYSTEMS,” will air live on January 21 at noon (Central Time).

Learn more about the entire 5-week series at https://www.regenpgc.org/resources/webinars/

Register now. If you missed Week 1, you can catch up on our YouTube site at https://www.youtube.com/@RegenPGC

Week 2. Selecting Perennial Groundcovers for Corn & Soybean Production Systems and Their Ideal Characteristics

Amina Moro (Iowa State University)

  • Crop Zone Requirements

Dr. Sara Lira & Brent Wilson (Corteva Agrisciences)

  • Techniques for maintaining a crop growth zone in corn and soybean production systems

Dr. Erin Haramoto & Kiera Searcy (University of Kentucky)

  • Chemical weed control options for perennial groundcover systems. Experiences & Options

St Cyr honored at Tuskegee University presentation event

Malcolm Yusuf St Cyr receives award

RegenPGC Graduate Education Community member Malcolm Yusuf St Cyr was recently recognized at the 82nd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference held at Tuskegee University for his presentation, Using Perennial Ground Covers in Midwest Agriculture to Sustain High Crop Productivity and Reduce Environment Impact.

Malcolm’s presentation was awarded second place at the Gamma Sigma Delta Agriculture Honors Society Graduate Competitive Oral Presentations event.

Malcolm is a graduate student in soil science at Iowa State University and a member of the RegenPGC Soil Health & Nutrient Management Objective. His current research focuses on nitrous oxide emissions and soil health within perennial grain cropping systems.

Malcolm holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and global resource systems. Growing up and attending high school in Senegal, West Africa, Malcolm developed a passion for agriculture in middle school, aspiring to help Senegal achieve food self-sufficiency and become a leading agricultural exporter.

You can learn more about the RegenPGC Graduate Education Community here.

  • St Cyr, Malcolm. (2024, November). Using Perennial Ground Covers in Midwest Agriculture to Sustain High Crop Productivity and Reduce Environment Impact [Gamma Sigma Delta Agriculture Honors Society Graduate Competitive Oral Presentations]. 82nd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee, Alabama, United States.
  • Malcolm Yusuf St Cyr and Dr. Olga Bolden-Tiller, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Environmental & Nutritional Science, Tuskegee University

RegenPGC grad student honored at 2024 World Food Prize

World Food Prize Graduate Student Poster Competition awardees - RegenPGC Pratyusha Cheguri

RegenPGC Graduate Education Community member Prathyusha Cheguri (4th from left) earned a significant award from the World Food Prize’s “Norman Borlaug Lecture Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students.” Prthyusha’s presentation focused on her research “on one of the ideal candidates (Poa bulbosa) to use as the ground cover of the Perennial Ground Cover based cropping systems.” Prathyusha’s achievement speaks well of her efforts as a graduate student at Iowa State University and the mentoring she has received from RegenPGC CoPd, Shui-zhang Fei.

Three graduate students were honored in the Borlaug Competition on Oct. 28 as part of the 2024 World Food Prize. Entrants submitted research posters on global issues in food, climate, technology, and more.
Graduate Students Awards
1st place – Esther Y. Akoto, industrial and agricultural technology
2nd place – Brady Clausen, sustainable agriculture
3rd place – Prathyusha Cheguri, genetics and genomics

You can learn more about Prthyusha and her colleagues in our RegenPGC Graduate Education Community at https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/graduate-education-copy/

(Photo: World Food Prize)

Research? Just never stop learning.

“Withut deviation progress is not possible.” This is probably the first time a USDA-NIFA report has inspiration in a quote attributed to Frank Zappa!

The quote is interesting, but we don’t totally agree with it in the context of our latest quarterly report (May 1 – July 31, 2024). We have never stopped learning about perennial groundcover since we started this project in 2021. Each research result teaches us something new, and we reassess what we previously believed in light of new information. At the same time, we never deviate from our goal of developing and increasing the reliability of perennial ground cover systems.

We measure our progress on our ability to make continuous course corrections. With that mindset, we think we are well on our way to demonstrating that perennial groundcover can be a useful approach to providing a range of farm operations with cover crops that require low labor inputs, provide significant ecosystem benefits, increase row crop resiliency, and have similar economic profiles as conventional row crop practices.