Walk through any greenhouse or research plot touched by Dr. Steve Long’s work, and you can feel the persistence of someone who refused to settle for what was “good enough.” He spent his career trying to answer a simple question: how can plants work a little harder to improve food security and mitigate climate change?

As the founding director of the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project at the University of Illinois, Dr. Long turned that question into a global collaboration. His team showed that crops could convert sunlight into yield more efficiently, achieving significant yield gains in field trials. The finding didn’t just move science forward. It re-imagined what was possible for smallholder farmers facing a hotter, hungrier planet.

In November, a symposium honoring Dr. Long’s legacy brought together students, collaborators, and colleagues from around the world. They came to celebrate his influence, to share stories, and to recognize the scientific foundation that continues to guide RIPE’s future.

That future is now in the hands of Dr. Lisa Ainsworth and Dr. Elizabete Carmo-Silva, who have taken on the project’s leadership with the same mix of rigor and optimism that defined its beginnings. Dr. Ainsworth noted that Dr. Long’s vision gave researchers “the courage to tackle one of biology’s hardest questions” and proved that curiosity, paired with persistence, can bend the limits of what plants can do.

Reflecting on the collaborative spirit that fueled RIPE, Dr. Carmo-Silva shared that “Steve built teams that believed in working together for impact. He understood that breakthroughs happen when ideas are shared, not guarded.”

From SoyFACE, the open-air facility he co-founded to study how climate change affects crops, to the generations of scientists he mentored, Dr. Long’s influence continues to ripple through the fields and labs of plant biology.

Joe Cornelius, CEO of Gates Agricultural Innovations, principal sponsor of RIPE, reflected on that legacy. “Steve believed that photosynthesis could teach us more than just plant biology. It also taught us patience, partnership, and the power of persistence. His work lives on in every scientist still chasing the light of a better harvest.”

Dr. Long’s legacy endures in every new experiment that asks the same question he never stopped asking: How can we make every ray of light count?