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

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/

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 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.

 

Meet future STEM teacher, Jacie Staedtler

Jessica Staedtler Headshot

At RegenPGC, we are not only about perennial groundcover, we are about growing the future. That is why we sponsor two research experience programs every summer, the Research Experience for Undergraduates and the Research Experience for Teachers.

Meet Jessica “Jacie” Staedtler, a member of our 2025 Research Experience for Undergraduates Internship. You can learn more about Jacie and her colleagues at https://iastate.box.com/s/4ugs0uvgyrac4q5qcovet3nr0k8lue03.

Hello, my name is Jacie Staedtler. I am going to be a senior at South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD) in the fall, pursuing my mathematics education degree. I am from Spencer, Iowa, and stayed in Alta, Iowa, over the summers. I enjoy reading, being on the farm, cooking, and baking. A fun fact about me is that I have written a recipe book for my family.

I applied to the REU program because… I wanted to grow my understanding of research experience. This program will help me with research techniques and how to be a better teacher. It will also help me connect science and math classrooms, so the collaborations and connections could help my teaching career. I would love a chance to collaborate with other STEM teachers and potentially design cross-curricular materials that can help expand our students’ knowledge. I feel that there’s a lot that can be learned through this type of collaboration, and I would love to be a part of that and begin to build something new to use in classrooms to challenge how students think and learn.

My expectations from the REU program are… I will increase my knowledge and my professional connections.

Why do you want to become a teacher? I have decided to become a STEM teacher because I enjoy the higher-order thinking problems while teaching and connecting them to real-world examples. Also, break the misconception that students are “bad” at math and science. I enjoy connecting the topics with chemistry and velocity problems to help make both enjoyable and collaborative.