Becoming phosphorus-smart doesn't have to be complicated. We’ve mapped out three simple ways to make your home more sustainable. Let’s protect our resources, one STEP(S) at a time! #PhosphorusSustainability #SustainabilityAtHome #STEPSCenter

Huge congrats to this STEPS team on their latest publication in Biogeochemistry! Their research on legacy phosphorus across various soil types is officially out. We are so proud of this massive group effort and the hard work that made it happen. #STEPS #Phosphorus #SoilScience

Phosphorus is a finite resource essential for food production, yet we let so much of it go down the drain. Listen to hear about how Lucas is transforming one of our most overlooked waste streams, human waste, into a powerhouse for global sustainability. #STEPSCenter #Phosphorus #Sustainability

Could a "critical" label change the future of phosphorus? A new article from the lab of Dr. Justin Baker explores how the recent critical mineral designation for phosphate rock shifts the focus toward supply chain resilience. Read more at https://loom.ly/LbZlTGc #Phosphorus #CriticalMineral

Congratulations to our very own Kailyn Harris-Gilliam! 🌟 Kailyn was recently recognized at the NC State 2026 College of Engineering Awards, taking home the Award for Excellence in Human Relations. Thank you for everything you do to make the STEPS Center a success, Kailyn! #STEPS

Excited to share an upcoming opportunity from the STEPS Center! We’re hosting a Research Spotlight & Networking Mixer on May 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM as part of our annual meeting, bringing together nearly 100 faculty, researchers, and graduate scholars from 11 institutions across the U.S!

Found in our soil, our water, and the very DNA of every living thing 🌿 For #EarthDay, we’re spelling it out: Phosphorus is a building block of life. At the STEPS Center, we’re working to ensure this element is used sustainably so our planet can keep blooming . 🌎

Protecting our water starts with how we manage phosphorus Hear STEPS Scholar Maria Torres explain her work in phosphorus management, a vital contribution to the global fight against water pollution. 💧🌱 #Sustainability #STEPSCenter #Phosphorus

Our T2PM Workshop in Belle Glade (April 21-22) is approaching fast. This event is designed for STEPS members to share insights, solve challenges, and network with leaders in the field. ✅ Provide your input here with this survey: https://loom.ly/yiJ0Cnk ✅ Register here: https://loom.ly/_EJubAA

We’re closing out our #PhosphorusWeek festivities with a look back at our time at the NC State Earth Fair. From sharing our STEPS vision to seeing who actually knows their P trivia, it’s been a week to remember. Thanks for celebrating with us! 🌍

🎉 Meet our April Scholar of the Month: Ke’shan Lighty! 🎉 With both P Week and Graduate Student Appreciation Week in full swing, there is no better time to celebrate Ke’shan’s work. We are proud to highlight Ke’shan as he helps to secure a phosphorus-smart future!

Alongside P Week, we are recognizing Graduate Student Appreciation Week! Listen as scholar Barira Rashid shares her contributions to phosphorus sustainability. Looking to expand your knowledge on phosphorus? Check out the PhosForUs Podcast at: https://loom.ly/BWmW5Sc or https://loom.ly/t0keGoQ

The celebration of P Week continues with our friends at the PhosForUs Podcast! 🎙️ This week’s episode, "STEPS Toward a P-Resilient World," is a must-listen for our community. Check out the latest episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! 🎧 #STEPS #PWeek #Phosphorus

Phosphate Rock is now a U.S. Critical Mineral, underscoring its irreplaceable role in our world! By supporting better recycling and smarter use, we can secure this "element of life" for generations to come! #ResourceSecurity #PWeek #CriticalMineralsList

Did you know that every spark of energy in your body is powered by phosphorus? As we celebrate Phosphorus Week, we’re taking a closer look at how the human body utilizes Element 15. #Phosphorus #PWeek #Element15 #DidYouKnow

Level up your science trivia! 💡 We’ve rounded up four fascinating facts about the 15th element to kick off Phosphorus Week. Join the celebration by sharing your favorite phosphorus fact in the comments! 🌱 #PWeek #Element15 #ScienceTrivia

In recognition of the 15th week of the year, we are proud to celebrate Phosphorus Week! Help us raise awareness by sharing industry news and honoring the collective efforts of organizations working toward a more sustainable future. 🌱💧🌎 #PhosphorusWeek #Phosphorus #Sustainability

Donating to the STEPS Enhancement Fund this #DayOfGiving helps scholars like Imani innovate for a more phosphorus-sustainable future. Support Imani and the STEPS mission here: https://loom.ly/30biQgI

🎉 March Scholar of the Month: Lucas Crane 🎉 Lucas is a PhD candidate at Arizona State University. We are so proud to highlight his dedication to innovative solutions! Contributing to Day of Giving helps to support scholars like Lucas as they work to secure a sustainable future!

Today is NC State's Day of Giving! Your support for the STEPS Enhancement Fund fuels the science needed to create a phosphorus-resilient world. Let’s make an impact together! Give here: https://loom.ly/30biQgI

This Wednesday, March 25th, we are participating in NC State’s Day of Giving. Donations help the STEPS Center provide our scholars with the resources they need to excel in phosphorus research. When you give, you’re investing in the future of our water and food systems! ♻️💧🌱 #STEPSCenter

Calling all STEPS members! Join us in Belle Glade, FL, for our T2PM Stakeholder Workshop on April 21-22. ✅ Take the survey to help us design an impactful experience: https://loom.ly/yiJ0Cnk ✅ Register here to attend: https://loom.ly/_EJubAA See you there! 📍 #PhosphorusSustainability

While most wastewater technology focuses on what we need to remove, research by this team at the STEPS Center focuses on what we can reclaim. Huge congratulations to Jiangfeng Xu, Jan Genzer, and Kirill Efimenko! Great work on advancing a solution for both water quality and global food security!

Meet Britney Rickman, a PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at NC State. 🥼🔬 Britney focuses on Metal-Organic Framework design for phosphate adsorption. Her work is critical for the recovery of phosphorus so that it can be reused when it is needed most. ♻️

🎉 Meet our February Scholar of the Month: Madison Horgan 🎉 Madison is a PhD student in Environmental Engineering at NC State University. Her research centers on sustainability assessments of emerging technologies that reduce environmental impacts without shifting them elsewhere. 🌱

🏆Congratulations to Hector Fajardo for receiving the STEPS Director's Fellowship! 📉 Hector will develop models for simulating phosphorus flows at the STEPS TBLs. He will develop scenarios for different nutrient recommendation philosophies and farmers’ applications & measure their impact on P use.

💡 Our team built a robust IC-ICP-MS (Ion Chromatography–Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) method to accurately separate and measure both inorganic and complex organic P compounds. Read the paper in Water Research: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135425014587

Did you miss a talk at @sustainablep.bsky.social's P Forum held last month? Want to revisit a talk to remember key details? You're in luck—the full event is now posted on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUidUbuElRQwKfVRlVnTHxMzA0bakRfL5 #research

🌾 STEPS researchers have published a new study ,"Pre-flooding phosphorus-iron interactions and nutrient uptake under flooded rice cultivation in histosols of South Florida," pinpointing how crucial phosphorus-iron (P-Fe) interactions are in fields. 🔗 https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2025.2563297

We’re excited to kick off our Scholar of the Month series! We celebrate the scholars whose dedication, leadership, & research are integral to the success of STEPS. This month, we’re proud to recognize two scholars: Maria Torres and Smitom Swapna Borah. #STEMExcellence #PhosphorusSustainability

🤩 What a week at #SPS8Africa in Ghana! STEPS was thrilled to be part of the first Sustainable Phosphorus Summit held in Africa. We had great conversations about what phosphorus sustainability looks like on different continents. Thank you so much to the conference organizers and local hosts!

STEPS will be at the Sustainable Phosphorus Summit 8 #SPS8Africa in Ghana next week! Our researchers will be participating in a variety of panels and lightning talks. We welcome people to connect with us at the conference. Will we see you there?

Did you know cerium phosphate can be recovered from our waste as an economical method for phosphate recovery? If not, then URINE for a real treat when you read STEPS new publication by Crane & Boyer: https://www-sciencedirect-com.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/science/article/pii/S1383586625037177?via%3Dihub

As a convergence research center, we like to bring our team together to learn about site-specific work and challenges, and to help our team grow and develop convergent solutions. This September, we hosted a retreat at our Cornbelt triple bottom line site. Many thanks to our hosts and stakeholders!

🌿 Check out this recent publication by STEPS researchers using an enzyme-based microsensor to measure concentrations of eATP in growth zones of Arabidopsis roots. 📄 Read it in Plant Signaling and Behavior 20(1): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15592324.2025.2555965#abstract

STEPS is a proud sponsor of this week's P Forum. Several of our researchers will be sharing updates. We look forward to seeing you there! For the full schedule, visit the P Forum website: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/78672/agenda/ #PForum25

Dr. Jacob Jones will be the featured speaker at the Great Lakes ReNew seminar on December 3 at 3pm EST. In his talk, "Phosphorus Sorbents and Their Use in Phosphorus Sustainability," he will share details of the exciting research in sorbents happening in STEPS. Register: https://loom.ly/iQ9c-GY

Shout out to STEPS scholar Darrell Harry, who gave a seminar talk Friday as part of NC State's Department of Material Science Excellence in Graduate Research series. His shared his STEPS' research on metal inorganic materials, a promising materials category for capturing and recovering phosphorus.

Congratulations to Xue Bai, who recently graduated from the University of Florida with her PhD in soil & water sciences. Her dissertation was Assessment of Sugar Cane and Flooded Rice Crop Rotation Effects on Soil and Water Quality in the Everglades Cultural Area, Florida. Congratulations, Dr. Bai!

🌟 Congratulations to Lily Kile for successfully defending her dissertation last week! Lily's project is titled, "Improving Phosphorus Efficiency in Low and High Input Agricultural Systems,” and was directed by advisor Dr. Luke Gatiboni. Congratulations, Dr. Kile! 🎉

STEPS and JSNN hosted our 4th ExPlorers free summer camp for high school students this July. Students: 🌱 Gained hands-on laboratory experience in agricultural and environmental science. 🐝 Visited a pollinator bee center. 🏫 Attend a college tour 💼 Worked in teams to address STEM challenges.

🚨New publication alert! STEPS researchers have published a new paper in Nature Water, "Surface waters in socially vulnerable areas are disproportionately under-monitored for nutrients in the US South Atlantic-Gulf region." Read online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00460-5.

💬 Got questions about phosphate pollution & how hydrogels can help? STEPS scholar & lead author of a recent publication, Jiangfeng Xu, has answers! 🔗 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c00679 #PhosphateRecovery #HydrogelTech #ScienceQandA #NSFfunded #NSFstories

Congratulations to our Co-Deputy Director, Dr. Paul Westerhoff on receiving the Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors Foundation Founder's Award! This award recognizes Paul's significant contributions to environmental engineering education & research. #AEESP

A group of STEPS researchers, led by scholar Smitom Borah, recently published "Quantifying Summer Internal Phosphorus Loading in Large Lakes across the United States"! 🔗 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/... #publication #nsffunded #nsfstories #waterquality

We are sending our best wishes to Dr. Flavia Santos on her next endeavors! Flavia worked as a Post-doc in Dr. Jango Bhadha's lab at University of Florida and brought invaluable experience to the team. #postdoc #universityofflorida

Congratulations to Alondra Deras and Lucas Crane on earning best poster awards at the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Conference! #nsffunded #nsfstories #AEESP2025

Congratulations to Dr. Shwetha Delanthamajalu on a successful dissertation defense & graduation from University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign! In STEPS, Shwetha worked with Dr.Marshall on the Adoption of Innovation project. #phD #graduation

We are proud to release 2 pivotal guides and accompanying videos aimed at enriching stakeholder engagement in both academic and community settings! Find the full article and find the resources here: steps-center.org/2025/05/21/s... #nsffunded #nsfstories #stakeholderengagment

🏆Our education research team completed a highlight year! Read about it below ⬇️ steps-center.org/2025/05/14/s... #nsffunded #nsfstories #education #research