Iowa State graduate research assistant Brady Clausen recently made the decision to pursue his PhD at Iowa State after earning his MS in Sustainable Agriculture and Plant Pathology this past spring.
He was involved in the Grass2Gas project, advised by Professor Leonor Leandro, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology and Professor Lisa Schulte Moore, natural resource ecology and management and co-director of the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State.
Clausen has also been a vital part of working on the ISRC-funded research project titled “Soil Amendment with Biofuel Industry Co-products (Biochar and Digestate) for Improving Soybean Disease Management and Enhancing Soil Health,” led by Leandro. His research examines how anaerobic digestate and biochar influence plant health and soybean sudden death syndrome, helping clarify how these soil amendments can support farmers, create new market opportunities and reduce reliance on costly production inputs.
“A pivotal moment in my undergraduate studies was taking a course called, “Plants and People”. It helped me realize I wanted to work in agriculture because it represents one of the most fundamental relationships between people and the natural world. From there, my curiosity grew,” said Clausen. Following the excitement of that class, he reached out to Leandro about undergraduate research possibilities and joined her lab, where she was working on the ISRC-funded project. “I quickly became deeply engaged in the research and soon realized that I wanted to pursue graduate school,” said Clausen. He then reached out to Schulte Moore and learned that she and Leandro were already collaborating through the same project.
Over the past several years, Clausen has worked to understand how soil amendments, biochar, and anaerobic digestate affect early soybean growth and soybean sudden death syndrome. “This research has the potential to support farmers by evaluating soil amendments produced here in Iowa. These locally produced inputs could reduce dependence on global input markets, strengthen rural resilience, and provide potential benefits for soil health and the environment,” said Clausen.
He finds the support of the ISRC especially meaningful due to the center’s reputation of keeping research closely connected to the needs of Iowa farmers. “We view ourselves as working for the farmers and communities our research is intended to serve. That responsibility motivates us to provide rigorous and timely research that enables farmers to make informed decisions, remain successful, and protect the soil and the environment,” said Clausen. He added, “None of this research would be possible without the people around me and the many others working behind the scenes. It truly takes a team, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of one that is so hardworking and committed to the vision,” said Clausen.
Clausen is originally from Milford, Iowa. He earned a BS in Biology from Iowa State in 2024 and his MS in Sustainable Agriculture and Plant Pathology in 2026 and is starting work toward his PhD in Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Science at Iowa State.
