Julia Kwasnick, environmental studies and sociology student at Roanoke College, spent the summer of 2026 in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Applied Plant Systems Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates program. The following is a first-person account of her experiences.
Research is a never a failed experiment, sometimes the results are just unexpected. As a Discover Days activity, our team set out to make soil-pigmented crayons for kids who stopped by our table, imagining rows of richly colored crayons from our lab samples. However, with the large amount of wax and lack of color, we pivoted and started advertising them as secret message crayons instead of writing them off as a loss; we used the result to for, a new purpose instead of labeling it as a problem.
My own summer project followed a similar path. What began as a straightforward methods project hit delays and took form in several different manners as new obstacles turned up. Like the crayons, I was left with a result I was proud of: a soil health project assessing the effects of agricultural management on aggregate stability.
Starting in June, I spent my summer in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Agronomy and Horticulture as an intern in the APS-REEU program under the mentorship of Emily Schmeling and S. Carolina Córdova, assistant professor and statewide soil health specialist. My research project for APS-REEU centered on wet aggregate stability across two farms, a measure of how well soil holds together when it’s wetted.
The lab had just received a new wet sieving apparatus when I arrived, and because it was so new there was no published protocol; however, the Kellog Soil Survey Laboratory was kind enough to provide the one they crafted. My first few weeks were spent learning the topic and then the instrument. Testing begins when small samples of dried soil aggregates are submerged in cans of water and mechanically agitated to mimic natural wetting conditions; then the sample is dried and weighed to see how much of the original aggregate survived. A second set of cans filled with a solution acting as a deflocculant is placed under sieves holding the remaining aggregates and the process is repeated. Soil that holds together under wetting resists erosion and absorbs water more readily instead of shedding it as runoff; this would be highly productive in an agricultural setting and effective soil for healthy plan growth and better yield.
From there I moved into roughly four weeks of almost daily testing, with Grimes Farm and Conservation Center being the first sample set. The farm layout was a simple comparison of cover-crop versus no cover-crop, leading to the questions: how does the use of cover-crops impact wet aggregate stability? The second farm was from a master student project: the Robertson Bellodgia project. This compared prairie strip buffers to adjacent long-term no-till corn and soybean fields, with additional variables like age and site. From this I investigated how wet aggregate stability varies among prairie strip buffers, corn and soybean fields and whether buffer strips age influence that stability.
A problem that became its own research question stemmed from early results showing high variability. After sorting and refining each step of the procedure, we observed some promising improvements in accuracy on further testing. It was a good lesson to learn that a research method is rarely finished the first time it’s recorded.
After further analysis, organization and interpretation of the data, Dr. Córdova and I created a scientific poster to reflect the process and results of this ten-week project.
My experience with APS-REEU included more than just research. I traveled to Topeka, Kansas, to design and lead hands-on activities for middle and high school students as part of a Junior MANRRS outreach event as well as developing activities for Nebraska’s Discovery Days. Both events exposed me to the challenges of teaching scientific concepts to a wide range of ages and expertise; it allowed me the chance to practice before my poster presentation and the summer research program symposium in August.
Through this experience I gained a real appreciate for Nebraska, the university, the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture and the cycling trails that served as a place of solace and familiarity outside of the lab. I’m grateful for the people — especially Emily and Dr. Córdova — who made this experience so formative and memorable. The balance they maintained between freedom and guidance was a gift. I am truly thankful for the responsibility, trust and respect that was extended to me starting on the first day. It’s something I hope to carry into how I support others moving forward.
