After an award-winning stint as a photographer with "The Daily Iowan" and the opportunity to document a historic women’s basketball tournament run, Grace Smith is continuing to pursue creative visual storytelling — and to photograph a favorite Iowa baller.

It was through his classes and professors at the University of Iowa that Ben Cooper discovered a love of neurobiology. It was through his work with Undergraduate Student Government that he found a love for working with people and advocating for them. These discoveries led to what he plans to do next with his life.

As a high school student, Brenda Ramirez thought it would be cool to work in public office someday. That "someday" happened when she became a Hawkeye, serving for three years on Undergraduate Student Government capped by a term as vice president. Ramirez will graduate this spring with a BA in political science and BA in economics.

Ella McDaniel came all the way from New Hampshire to serve in the coveted role of UI Golden Girl, the Hawkeye Marching Band’s scholarship baton twirler. She enjoyed her time at Iowa so much that, after graduating with a degree in exercise science, she plans to stay on campus and work toward a Master of Science in Athletic Training.

Emily Mozena was born in Iowa but grew up and lived in various places around the world thanks to her father’s job in the State Department. In fact, her family was preparing to move to England when she was deciding where she wanted to go to college. Her sister had already moved to Iowa City to go to the University of Iowa, so Mozena decided to follow her.

After graduating with a BA in actuarial science and BA in business administration from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, Eric Dowe started looking at grad schools. “The University of Iowa had the exact program that I was looking for,” says Dowe, who will graduate this spring with an MS in finance and MS in business analytics.

At age 10, Genevieve Martinez spent two weeks in a hospital, during which she was inspired by the nurses who cared for her. Martinez will graduate this month with a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Iowa, where she spent the past year serving as president of the Student Nurse Association.

When Kaleb Young started studying at the University of Iowa, he wanted to become a doctor. And while he’ll gain that title, it will not be an MD like he originally planned but a PhD with a focus in flood mitigation.

Kisara Thompson grew up in Singapore, and when it came time to choose a college, she only applied to one. “I only applied to the University of Iowa for undergrad, and I only applied to the University of Iowa for pharmacy school,” says Thompson, who will graduate this spring with a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). “I have no regrets whatsoever.

While being treated at UI Health Care for severe scoliosis over the years, Mallory Obenauf found a home away from home, a passion to work in health care, and a lifelong mentor in her doctor. “It was an easy decision to come here not only for undergrad, but also dental school,” says Obenauf, who will graduate this month with a DDS from the UI College of Dentistry.

Max Willis is a storyteller — a multifaceted one, at that. “I can write, I can work in front of and behind the camera, I can do graphic design, I can do video editing or photo editing, I can fly a drone — I feel really well prepared,” says Willis, who will graduate with a BA in journalism and mass communication, BA in African American studies, and minor in sport and recreation management.

Maya Monk never could have predicted when she went looking for a research opportunity at the University of Iowa that she would end up working with 13,600-year-old mastodon bones. “It’s been such an incredible experience to get to work on this,” says Monk, who will graduate this spring with a BS in biology.

Megan Mindy is grateful to have found multiple opportunities to combine her interests in working in health care and working with the disability community while at the University of Iowa. To start with, she’ll graduate this spring with a BS in public health and a minor in inclusive recreation.

Noah Hermanson this fall will become a third-generation University of Iowa College of Dentistry student. “I guess you could say dentistry is in my blood, and I bleed black and gold,” says Hermanson, who will graduate this spring with a BA in enterprise leadership and interdepartmental studies (health science-multidisciplinary science) on the pre-dental track.

This spring, nearly 5,500 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will earn degrees. These Hawkeyes have engaged, excelled, and stretched to reach their goals.

UI Health Care's North Liberty campus, which opened at the end of April, features a medical center and services that meet the needs and expectations of Iowans.

Medicine alumna Amy Shriver uses her role as a pediatrician to help families learn how focusing on social connection, family reading time, and more can contribute to kids’ mental and physical health.

Unprecedented find provides a unique opportunity for University of Iowa students to participate in the preservation of a piece of prehistory.

A Cedar Falls man took full advantage of a program created by UI Health Care nurses that encourages patients to walk marathons while they are hospitalized.

Researchers at the University of Iowa are studying the sleep of premature babies to get the earliest look to date into how the twitches that occur during REM sleep shape the nascent communication between brain and body.

A public health team from the University of Iowa is collaborating with partners across the state to share county-specific cancer data with residents in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

UI Health Care experts can offer people with severely eroded shoulder bone a pain-free option thanks to recent innovations in implant technologies and techniques.

The ultimate day in medical education arrived in March for senior medical students in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. More than 40 of these graduating students will train in the state of Iowa.

The Emmy Award–winning writer who penned sketches for ‘Saturday Night Live’ might have pursued another career had it not been for a class she took at the University of Iowa.

For more than two decades, the UI Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency Program has addressed the specialty training gap for PAs working in rural emergency departments.

More than 70 high school robotics teams from across Iowa convened in Coralville, Iowa, to showcase their skills and creations at the FIRST Tech Challenge Iowa Championship.

Thanks to Ian Mallory’s investigation, which involved untangling hundreds of documents and obtaining a crucial DNA test, a California man who had been falsely imprisoned and involuntarily hospitalized for saying he was who he said he was regained his true identity.

Plenty of myths surround campus law enforcement, including whether officers are “real” police officers. Learn the truth about some of these myths.

University of Iowa’s Arts Share, the Muscatine Art Center, and the Stanley Center commissioned Iowa Playwrights Workshop student Cianon Jones to write a play about Alexander Clark, a longtime Muscatine resident and early leader in the fight for equal rights in the state.

First-gen students might come to college unaware of the pathways to research. The University of Iowa offers them support, from educational and networking services to hands-on workshops that deal with brain research.

Iowa Nurse Innovators, a program within the University of Iowa Office of Innovation, empowers inventive nurses to create solutions improving patient safety, workflow efficiencies, and effectiveness in hospitals across the state.

University of Iowa medicine alum Wanakee Carr finds meaning in the care she provides as a doctor practicing obstetrics and gynecology in the Des Moines area. She describes helping bring a new child into the world as “such a beautiful experience.”

When his toddler was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder more than 20 years ago, Ted Abel expanded his research focus to include the developmental disorder. Today, the University of Iowa provides an environment where both father and son have thrived.

Serving in the U.S. Marines gave Arnold “Bill” Bangel III the focus he needed to pursue a PhD in industrial and systems engineering. Learning how to navigate a devastating loss gave him life perspective.

Wesley Peterson was 4 months old when he was admitted to UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital with heart failure and was put on the heart transplant list. Now 8 months old, Wesley is getting ready to go home.

In the latest ranking from “U.S. News & World Report,” University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center received the “High Performing” designation in maternity care.

Owen Trampe had surgery to correct severe scoliosis at University of Iowa Health Care in 2019. Five years later, he completed a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.

University of Iowa doctoral student Aubrey McEnroe aims to bring mental health services to the rural Iowa community where she also intends to continue the legacy of her family farm.

Craig Just at the University of Iowa has sought an affordable wastewater solution for small towns. Now, through Just’s research, partnerships, and persistence, a pilot system in Dow City appears poised to meet federal wastewater treatment regulations. The technology would then be available for hundreds of small towns in Iowa.

University of Iowa efforts to support pregnant women with substance use disorders are helping to deliver vital health care, provide treatment resources, and keep families together.

After suffering three severe sports-related injuries to his leg and hip, Wahlert football player Nathan Schiesl turned to UI Health Care Sports Medicine, which gave him a second chance at glory with its platelet-rich plasma program.

The Carver Rural Iowa Scholars Program is preparing doctors to serve the smaller-size communities where they are needed most, closing health care gaps in Iowa.

This fall, more than 1,700 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will earn degrees. As the latest cohort of Hawkeyes prepares to graduate, we laud all they have accomplished.

Ava Haberer grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, but she spent many of her summers running around Iowa City and the University of Iowa campus while visiting family. When it came time to think about where she wanted to go to college, she sent in only one application: to Iowa. She's set to graduate with a BA in criminology, law, and justice.

Ethan Dabareiner has led tens of thousands of fans in cheering for the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and stadiums across the country. “Spirit Squad and cheerleading gave me a great opportunity to be a part of the university in a way that I had never been a part of any school atmosphere before,” says Dabareiner, who will graduate with a BBA in accounting.

Lauren Mudd is ready for a little more free time — and so are her children. Mudd’s family will travel with her from their home in Archer City, Texas, to watch her receive a PhD in biostatistics from the University of Iowa College of Public Health during the December 2024 commencement ceremony.

Marshawn Gunn had early dreams of being a meterologist, but he soon discovered he loved something more: telling stories. “I was aiming to tell people about weather, so I’m glad that I was able to find a different way to tell people stories and inform them about things going on in their community,” says Gunn, who will graduate with a BA in journalism and mass communication and a minor in sport and recreation management.

While many students are surprised to discover they can participate in research during their undergraduate studies, Olivia Kopp went looking for a university where she could do just that. “I like the idea of constantly finding out new things and learning more, so I wanted to go to a research school specifically," says Kopp, who will graduate with a BS in psychology.