More than 1,200 girls from 42 counties across Iowa have participated in Girls Go STEM since the program began in 2012. Through this University of Iowa program, many participants are discovering new opportunities and interests.
University of Iowa senior Adeline Barron knows a challenge when she sees one. After a childhood amid civil unrest in Ivory Coast and times of financial hardship in Des Moines, Barron found inspiration at the University of Iowa. Here, she is a champion for underrepresented voices on campus, and aims to have a career in higher education administration.
Hawkeyes were everywhere at Super Bowl LIV. Three UI sport and recreation management alumni recount their experiences in Miami and how their time at Iowa helped them get to where they are today.
Tartil Ali is thankful for the role models in her life, and the University of Iowa student looks to pay their contributions forward through her work on campus, in the community, and in a future health care career.
Anytime there is an opportunity for involvement, Takayla “T.K.” Al-Amin answers the bell. The University of Iowa undergraduate has held leadership roles and worked with professional sports teams and local athletic organizations, experiences that will serve her well as she looks forward to a career in the sports industry.
Bringing home a newborn child is a momentous occasion, especially after a lengthy stay in the hospital. As the Howard family of Springville, Iowa, can attest, that early period was made much less stressful thanks to University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which was the first hospital in Iowa to introduce a home monitoring program that provides health care professionals with consistent access the vitals of children like Charlie.
Kiley Reid drew from life experiences to start a novel, and then fine-tuned the manuscript as a student at the University of Iowa. Published in December 2019, just months after her graduation, her book is drawing critical acclaim—and resonating with readers.
Beth Redfearn came to Iowa to coach the Hawkeye women’s rowing team. She left with a business degree and a new career as a technology consultant.
A new externship program introduces Iowa law students to the nation’s capital and helps them find careers in and around the federal government.
After surviving multiple procedures, a stroke, a collapsed lung, and 30 days on ECMO, Cooper Leeman’s health is improving, he enjoys school, and he loves to laugh. Learn more about the boy from Radcliffe, Iowa—who served as the Hawkeyes’ Kid Captain for the Holiday Bowl—and his University of Iowa team’s care decisions.
Take a look back at the memorable moments of 2019, a year where the university built on excellence in the classroom, in the lab, and in the community.
With the death of former football coach Hayden Fry, a University of Iowa alumna and staff writer revisits the words she wrote after the Hawkeye legend announced his retirement in 1998.
When Livia Knipp’s water broke just 19 weeks into her pregnancy, the situation seemed very grim. The family from Windsor Heights turned their attention east toward Iowa City and UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The UI high-risk obstetricians and neonatal specialists gave the Knipp family a new beginning.
Stephen Boeding partially severed his left forearm after falling while trimming a tree with his chain saw. University of Iowa medical professionals were able to treat the West Point man’s complex injuries; within months, he was holding his new grandchildren.
Students gather with friends and family to celebrate after years of study and hard work.
Suman Sherwani is well on her way to becoming a rocket scientist. The December graduate will stay at the University of Iowa to work as a design engineer on NASA-funded rocket and satellite missions in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
After discovering a passion for education while at the University of Iowa, Kaleb Farnham is making an impact as a student and teacher.
Sydney Blitchok initially chose the University of Iowa because of soccer, but she quickly discovered Iowa’s stellar journalism and political science programs.
Caleb Smith says the University of Iowa showed him that he can make a difference in the world—and he intends to do just that.
A family love connection saw Daniela Pacheco move from Costa Rica to the Midwest as a young adult. The ensuing period of major change culminated with Pacheco enrolling at Iowa, where she majored in marketing and made meaningful relationships. And she’s started a firm with her source for inspiration: her mom.
When Karl Ihrig started his academic journey, he was unaware of the world of business analytics. But in the Tippie College of Business, he found a program with the right focus and a place where he and his classmates could build a supportive and encouraging culture.
Morgan Kofoid has landed not one but two great gigs after her December graduation from the University of Iowa College of Nursing: one in an intensive care unit and one in the limelight.
Harsh Patel wants to solve problems and help people. Through the University of Iowa’s combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program in computer science and engineering, he’s well-positioned to do both—and perhaps develop the Next Big Thing.
Lyndsey DuBose chose the University of Iowa after hearing rave reviews about the university from a former Hawkeye rower. DuBose, from Texas, will earn a doctorate this December in health and human physiology, and will begin a postdoctoral fellowship to investigate aging on the blood vessel network in the human heart and brain.
After discovering passions for art and music during childhood, Mike Tallman was able to develop skills in graphic design at the University of Iowa while also performing with his popular band Eufórquestra.
University of Iowa undergraduates have myriad opportunities to participate in meaningful research. Sometimes, as Iowa biology student Marissa Roseman can attest, that research can lead to a rare discovery. The senior from Wheaton, Illinois, found a left-coiled snail while working in biologist Maurine Neiman’s lab. The find is considered a one-in-a-million occurrence.
Ashley Nylen’s job as a planner for emerging transportation technologies didn’t exist when she was a college student. That didn’t stop the University of Iowa from preparing her to be a leader in the field.
The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine’s Writing and Humanities Program gives medical students the space and time to pursue interests in the arts and humanities, as well as develop skills critical for their futures as successful physicians.
In 2014, Kyle Nelson of Hillsboro, Iowa, helped build the new University of Iowa Stead Family Hospital. In 1994, that hospital helped Nelson survive and thrive after being born 13 weeks premature. And now, the same UI Health Care specialist was there to care for Nelson’s child in a time of critical need.
University of Iowa alumnus Brian Lein is quickly moving up the career ladder at the Department of Defense—becoming an audit manager for the U.S. Navy at the age of 29—thanks to his accounting education from the Tippie College of Business.
Cali Wilson graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in political science, but she’s becoming known for her musical talents, making the top 13 of NBC’s “The Voice.” The Hawkeye from Salem, Iowa, says her degree is helping her navigate the music industry.
A train accident in small-town Iowa easily could have taken a young father’s life in 2018, but a quick response from a University of Iowa medical helicopter gave him a fighting chance. He is one of thousands who have been treated by the AirCare team since 1979.
When pain from hip dysplasia threatened to prevent Kiersten Latham from participating in her favorite activities, a team at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics worked with her to get her back in action.
Vinton, Iowa, has endured two major floods already in the 21st century. University of Iowa PhD student Paul Schmitt listened to community members’ stories and worked with local officials to develop a website that documents the human element of flood recovery and further strengthens future flood resiliency.
University of Iowa students will be able to take a class in which they will design, build, and fly instruments into space. The class, The Edge of Space: Mission and Instrument Design for Spaceflight, will debut in spring 2020 in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, with Iowa State University on board as a partner.
Theater audiences around the world are becoming pretty familiar with Jen Silverman. The graduate from the Iowa Playwrights Workshop has been named one of the nation’s top 20 most-produced playwrights the last two years. And she’s not stopping with the stage, also penning books, TV series, and films.
In her work as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, University of Iowa graduate Kimberly Chmielewski finds that movement brings people together.
Two University of Iowa alumni, Lt. Col. Nicholas Edwards and Lt. Col. Michael Lynch, were at the controls of the Air Force jets that flew over Kinnick Stadium before the football game against Penn State. The moment that thrilled 70,000 fans in the stands was incredibly meaningful to the two Hawkeyes in the air.
Through the nonprofit organization she leads, the 2007 University of Iowa engineering graduate is connecting people in isolated communities across the globe to opportunity and prosperity.
Numbness that started in Shannon Sampson’s toes gradually spread, threatening her work with the Cedar Rapids Police Department and her overall quality of life. Tests at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics pinpointed the problem—a tumor in her thoracic region—and two specialty units worked in concert to ensure safe removal of the tumor and a path back to walking and working.
Jaylee Bartleson wasn’t even a year old when she came to University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital from Nevada, Iowa, with a critical heart condition. Diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, she was placed on a left ventricle assist device, but her UI care team made sure she could live as normal a life as possible while waiting for a new heart.
Zachary Ingram, a biomedical engineering major, made a substantive impact during his summer internship at the global manufacturer 3M. Ingram, a senior from Sioux City, Iowa, credits his academic and lab experiences at Iowa with giving him the skills and confidence to succeed in his internship.
Michael Gibisser’s short film “Slow Volumes” had its world premiere in September at the Toronto International Film Festival. The University of Iowa assistant professor utilized slit scan photography and a custom-built camera to “bend cinematic space and time.”
Most roads in the U.S. are in rural areas, and the University of Iowa’s National Advanced Driving Simulator is working to make them safer and prepare them for a future with driverless vehicles.
About 200 University of Iowa College of Dentistry students, faculty, and alumni participated in the Iowa Mission of Mercy dental clinic in Davenport in September, providing free care to people without dental insurance. The event provides Iowa students with the sort of experience they can’t always get in a collegiate clinic.
The University of Iowa’s LGBTQ Clinic—the first in the state to offer comprehensive care for the lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, and questioning population—provides a safe environment for patients in need of everything from routine health screenings to hormone therapy to gender affirming surgery.
Armin Muzafirovic found himself in need of a life-saving heart transplant while in his teens. His family moved from New York to Iowa so he could have the necessary procedures performed at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. The young man from Waterloo returned to the UI campus last summer, taking part in an educational program that assists underrepresented students in designing future careers in health care.
Knox Tysdahl was born at 23 weeks gestation, or 17 weeks early, at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital in 2017. UI Health Care’s large team of high-risk obstetricians, its Level 4 neonatal intensive care unit, and the attitude that every baby in its care will go on to live a healthy life helped ensure Knox would be another “micro preemie” success story.
Iowa undergraduate Emily Lefeber is no stranger to museum work—the Harlan, Iowa, native has served as a docent on Iowa’s campus and in her home county. That and her passion for museum studies opened the door to an internship at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
STEM Innovator, created by the University of Iowa’s Jacobson Institute, puts high school students alongside community business and industry leaders to practice entrepreneurial skills and solve real-world business problems. The program also provides teachers with tools to help students think creatively.
Plymouth, Iowa, serves as a hub for buses ferrying nearly 70 students between their homes and schools in neighboring towns. There is currently no shelter where they wait, and many riders now huddle in the nearby post office during inclement weather. Three University of Iowa students are working to change that.
Not long after receiving the largest research award in its history, the University of Iowa welcomed top officials from NASA, who toured Iowa facilities and lauded the meaningful work being done by researchers and students.
After devoting a chunk of his childhood to playing inside a campus recreation facility, University of Iowa graduate Tony Price now leads recreation services at the University of Colorado Boulder.
A thesis film made by Christopher Harris in 2000 is seeing a resurgence. The University of Iowa associate professor and his film, “still/here,” were featured this summer in a retrospective of black filmmaking at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.
Thanks to some “halftime adjustments,” the University of Iowa’s game-day commercial drives home the excellence associated with being a Hawkeye.
The University of Iowa trains more than half of Iowa’s physicians. Their preparation starts with the White Coat Ceremony, a celebrated experience in the Carver College of Medicine that intends to impress upon them the obligations inherent in the practice of medicine: to be excellent in science, to be compassionate, and to lead lives of uprightness and honor.
A diagnosis of early onset scoliosis could have placed numerous surgeries on young Will Imbus’s calendar. But in 2015, UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital became the first hospital in Iowa to use newly available technology called the MAGEC (MAGnetic Expansion Control) Spinal Growing Rod, technology that eliminated nearly 10 surgical procedures from Will’s treatment.
The multiple study abroad experiences completed by recent University of Iowa nursing graduate Megan Lough shaped her career prospects—and her outlook on life.
Alumnus Bret Schafbuch’s experiences at the University of Iowa—specifically, the chance to study abroad—laid the foundation for a successful career at the iconic toy company’s headquarters in Denmark.
A decade of Kid Captains highlights the special bond between University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital and the football team that plays right across the street.
From river to river, the University of Iowa and its alumni provide expertise in areas as varied as health care, education, law, and business.
After finishing an award-winning comprehensive plan, Keokuk will become the 2019–20 community partner of the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities. The partnership with the University of Iowa organization will help with community revitalization efforts and offer Iowa students real-world learning experiences.
When a preemie was born at 26 weeks’ gestation in a small Iowa hospital in 2007, the odds were against her survival. An ice storm prevented emergency transportation from transferring her to a better-equipped facility. But it didn’t stop two University of Iowa doctors from heeding the call for help.
University of Iowa graduate Anya Kim studied the past academic year in Spain on a Fulbright scholarship. The Indianola High School graduate will pursue a joint medical and doctoral degree at Johns Hopkins University beginning in fall 2019.
For more than 20 years, physicist Craig Kletzing has flourished as a researcher at the University of Iowa, where his work using rockets and satellites to learn about Earth’s auroras has yielded an astounding contract award from NASA. Iowa also offered Kletzing the opportunity to teach a wide range of physics courses—a source of personal reward he wasn’t guaranteed elsewhere.
Brady Jorgensen of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was diagnosed with a brain tumor before his first birthday. When the tumor came back after treatment, Brady's family turned to specialists at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital for help—and hope.
University of Iowa dentistry professor Hanan Elgendy uses art to help first-year dental students understand tooth structure and form. Bringing art into the dental simulation lab not only sharpens students’ eye for detail but also helps them create better dental restorations and tooth replacements.
Actress and environmentalist Tanna Frederick headed to Hollywood with much more than a suitcase and her ambitions. She kicked off her career in Los Angeles with the confidence to pursue projects she is passionate about, both on and off screen, thanks to her education at the University of Iowa.
Every Iowan in a sense owns masterpieces by the likes of Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Joan Mitchell, and Henri Matisse, as well as ancient artifacts from across the globe. Fifty years ago, those publicly owned works of art found a home in a new museum on the Iowa River. Soon, they’ll move into a groundbreaking facility built for a new era of museums and generation of art lovers.
Alexander Rubinow has a talent for telling fish tales—and not those harmless embellishments passed down through generations. The University of Iowa graduate is an editor on the Discovery Channel’s hit series “Deadliest Catch,” and he has an Emmy to show for it.
Molecular medicine PhD student Jordan Kohlmeyer is researching new therapies for malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, which are deadly, resistant to drug therapies, and often unable to be operated upon due to their location.
When Carter Schmidt was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital provided the young boy’s family with an expert team and cutting-edge methods to treat the disease and deliver a positive prognosis. And a marrow donor from Mississippi provided a big assist.
Call her a matchmaker. As a senior community manager at Yelp in Los Angeles, University of Iowa alumna Megan Ranegar works with local businesses and users of the popular website and mobile app to create lasting and harmonious relationships.
After their students’ years of study, family and friends gather to celebrate a major achievement.
Jake Stone is heading to the Baltimore Orioles organization after graduation. He says this was made possible by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the University of Iowa’s Sport and Recreation Management Program and his work with the Hawkeye baseball team.
What do zebrafish and dance in the 1940s have in common? Both have been the objects of research by University of Iowa student Mikaela Mallin.
It did not take long for Fredrick Cherry Jr. to feel at home at the University of Iowa. Once here, he flourished under the tutelage of mentors, and has helped groom the next generation of people to do the same things that he has had the opportunity to do.
Nicci Ledbetter earned a Juris Doctorate and Master of Arts in Philosophy at the same time, while also raising two young children and serving in the Iowa Air Force National Guard. She heads to a central Iowa law firm with a message for her clients: no obstacle is insurmountable.
Josh Larson was attracted to the University of Iowa by a folder filled with space goodies. The Mount Pleasant, Iowa, native graduates in May after finding a passion for plasma physics and building his own experiment for students.
University of Iowa business analytics student Emma Keefe used all the resources the university has to offer to figure out what she wanted to do. It culminated with a job offer in the Twin Cities, which she accepted, with one caveat: she wanted to work in Iowa, a state she loves.
University of Iowa graduate Jesse Cochran learned a lot while conducting research in a UI lab, and not just about heart disease. He found a model of professionalism and a newfound appreciation for discovery that’s redefining his health care career path.
When the delivery of Caleb Helland’s epilepsy medication was delayed, his mother reached out to UI Health Care Specialty Pharmacy Services, which promptly created a new batch and worked with the Iowa State Patrol to get the medication to the family’s Mason City home that same evening.
As the attending veterinarian at a marine mammal hospital in Los Angeles, University of Iowa alumna Lauren Palmer aims to rehabilitate and release sick or injured animals—and to help educate people about the ocean’s ecosystem.
A successful stint at 20th Century Fox was set into motion for Isaiah Scales when he was a University of Iowa student—by a fellow Hawkeye.
Neuroscience doctoral candidate Brittany Williams loves conducting research, work that she likens to solving a complex puzzle. Through the support of mentors and the welcoming environment at the University of Iowa, she hopes to help those who have visual impairments.
University of Iowa alumna and artist Luisa Caldwell spent part of her childhood in Iowa and vowed to return for college. She did, and years later returns again to the place where she truly became inspired as an artist.
A childhood diagnosis of diabetes helped cement Eric Ortiz’s desire to work in health care. After years of seeking medical treatment at the University of Iowa, he eventually enrolled as a premed student. Now, the biology major is researching the disease and is poised to pursue a career in public health.
Marco Nino wants to develop a medical device that will save lives. The University of Iowa senior says his course work in biomedical engineering and experience working in a campus neuroanatomy lab are preparing him to do just that.
Travelers, take heed: A University of Iowa doctoral student is researching the reliability of itineraries that involve multiple modes of travel, identifying the easiest way to get from points A to C by going through B.
The African American Cultural Center, born in the late 1960s out of black students’ desire for a place to call their own on a predominantly white campus, continues to prove a valuable resource for black students at the University of Iowa, at a time when UI leaders and students recognize that many of the issues that prompted its creation still exist.
University of Iowa alumnus Michael Nauman wanted to work for a company where he could have a positive impact on others. At IT giant Microsoft, he does just that.
University of Iowa alumna Michelle McCarthy is using her business expertise to help United Airlines improve the experience of its customers by better equipping the company’s flight attendants.
University of Iowa Dance Marathon has become one of the largest college philanthropies in the country—and it is starting to have a significant impact on the race to cure and prevent pediatric cancer.
Take a look back at the memorable moments of 2018, a year where the university made great strides in teaching, research, and service.
Karsten Temme, who received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the UI College of Engineering, is the co-founder of Pivot Bio, a startup that is on the verge of revolutionizing agriculture by offering farmers a new crop nutrition tool for corn.
Work as a student broadcaster led University of Iowa alumnus Jordan Loperena to his dream job at the Big Ten Network.
Receiving a diploma signals both an ending and a beginning.
The University of Iowa’s strategic plan calls on the university to perform high-impact research and to provide a transformative academic experience that educates all UI students to be engaged citizens. Hundreds of faculty and staff at Iowa are quietly and busily teaching students to be inquisitive and to strive for discovery.
Visual artist and Iowa alumna Anne Beffel encourages more generous and empathetic interactions among neighbors and strangers through publicly engaged art performances and installations. A vibrant collection of hers now hangs at her alma mater, a place that satisfied her need for a creative and intellectual community and influenced her career path.
In 2018, University of Iowa graduates shattered records at the box office and, with the lauded documentary “Saving Brinton,” heard plenty of buzz during awards season. Hawkeyes are not outsiders in Hollywood; after all, UI grads have been making an impact since the days of Willy Wonka and the Starship Enterprise.
The University of Iowa's 2018 halftime commercial spotlights our commitment to excellence and service in our academic and athletic pursuits.
At Facebook, University of Iowa graduate Kristen Beck works across different platforms and cultures to help clients reach goals.
A small but loyal contingent of University of Iowa graduates populates the administration of the Minnesota Vikings. Working for the NFL team gives them an opportunity to bond—and to use their education in areas like law, ancient civilization, physical education, and business to help the organization thrive.
By writing and producing dramatic productions to perform for schoolchildren, University of Iowa playwriting graduate Anton Jones aims to make the world a better place one audience at a time.
Creative and research pursuits take graduate students in the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History near and far.
UI alumnus Joe Dellwo is the director of ticket sales for Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals—it is his job to make sure every game runs smoothly, whether it be as the host of an All-Star Game or during a World Series–winning run.
Bridget Coughlin says her biochemistry education and training at the University of Iowa gave her the tools necessary to run one of the largest aquariums in the world—and fed her passion for science.
As a pediatric ophthalmologist in St. Paul, Minnesota, Jeffrey Lynch sees as many as 40 patients a day. As the CEO and founder of an online eyeglass-recycling service called ReSpectacle, he has helped improve the vision of more than 30,000 people in underserved communities around the world.
The University of Iowa campus has had a student-produced newspaper since 1868. Not only do the student staff members have opportunities many colleges can’t provide, their work has earned multiple honors and awards throughout the years, placing the paper among the best in the country.
The UI is home to many renowned programs for aspiring writers and is a place where all students are afforded opportunities to improve their writing or weave it into their studies.
Check out the stats for this graduating group, and take a closer look at nine names in the crowd to learn about their time at Iowa and their plans for the future.
Aaron Boes brings expertise in noninvasive brain stimulation from Harvard University to the University of Iowa.
University of Iowa "alternative spring break" teams fanned out across the United States to address issues of importance.
What started with 12 Chicago schoolkids playing soccer has grown into a sports-based youth development organization that serves some 17,000 students in 57 schools across the city. University of Iowa graduate Jim Dower says his nonprofit, Urban Initiatives, uses sport to engage students and help them build leadership skills.
A summer spent helping manage Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s finances turned into a full-time job for Krista Ellensohn after she graduated from the University of Iowa. And she still dances.
UI graduate Richard Lariviere says there is much more to Chicago’s iconic natural history museum than what its 1.5 million annual visitors see when they visit. Behind the scenes is the work of some 150 scientists, many of whom travel the world to conduct research.
University of Iowa undergraduates Hannah Gulick and Josh Larson took part in an intensive, international science program to design, build, and fly a sounding rocket.
Students dance for 24 hours. They inspire patients, families, researchers, and one another well beyond that single day.
The NSF-funded augmented-reality sandbox, dubbed “Gravbox,” is the first interactive system of its kind to be used for astrophysics.
The Iowa Neuroscience Institute is primed to make discoveries about humans’ most complex organ—and end debilitating diseases.
Take a look back at the memorable moments of the past year, one where the university made great strides in teaching, research, and service.
Some 1,400 UI students spent a December weekend saying farewell to classwork, studying, and treks across campus.
The works of five members of the UI’s highly acclaimed dance faculty were brought to life by their students on the Hancher Auditorium stage.
Only one team can leave the Iowa-Minnesota football game with a bronze pig. Here's the story behind the beloved trophy.
University of Iowa students tackle research challenges using the latest virtual technology.
Since the 1950s, the University of Iowa has given undergraduates the opportunity to work with top space scientists.
Born without most of his right arm, Jonny Cole couldn’t ride a bike. Four UI undergrads in the Department of Biomedical Engineering created a device that lets the Cedar Rapids boy ride with confidence.
The University of Iowa's unique bike-building classes combining art and engineering set the worldwide standard.
In University of Iowa research labs, students learn life lessons and contribute to scientific discovery.
The award-winning India Winterim program matches University of Iowa undergraduates with India’s best organizations.
The Visual Arts Building provides UI students with perfect place for expression and exploration.