Nine University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital specialties are listed in the “U.S. News & World Report” 2024-25 rankings of “Best Children’s Hospitals.”

With expert care at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Jackson Casteel continues to defy the odds of his rare genetic condition.

In addition to helping two community newspapers stay afloat, the purchase of the “Solon Economist” and the “Mount Vernon–Lisbon Sun” by “The Daily Iowan” is giving University of Iowa students more on-the-job training — and a taste of journalism practices in a small town.

When traditional CPR wasn’t enough to restart Ken Platt’s heart after cardiac arrest, UI Health Care teams leaped into action to initiate extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Specialists at UI Health Care helped Mary Harris of Marion, Iowa, avoid major surgery. Now cancer free, she’s focused on spending time with family, traveling, and working on her dancing skills.

Haidyn spent two years at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital while being treated for leukemia as a child. Now she’s working toward becoming a CNA, with hopes of working with pediatric cancer patients.

Carver College of Medicine grad Kyle Glienke reflects on his calling to rural and agricultural medicine and his place in Storm Lake, Iowa — the community he loves.

Aiden Washburn has had several life-saving open-heart surgeries at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The 8-year-old boy’s family cherishes the UI staff’s expertise and compassion.

This fall, the University of Iowa welcomes another academically accomplished class of students, one of the largest first-year cohorts in university history.

Mya Gilchrist grew up at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital, overcoming cancer several times. Her family is grateful for her care and continue to inspire others with Mya’s positive attitude.

One of the most anticipated premieres at this fall’s Toronto Film Festival is “Nightbitch,” an adaption of University of Iowa alumna and professor Rachel Yoder’s novel about a mother who finds herself turning into a dog.

“Fierce,” an opera composed by a University of Iowa jazz studies faculty member, debuted in Iowa on the Hancher Auditorium stage, ushering in a new era of collaboration among performing arts units on campus.

After specialists at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital determined Atlas had a rare, aggressive cancer, UI doctors worked with a partner program to design a custom plan to fit Atlas’ care needs.

A random bone marrow donor combined with expert health care at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital saved the life of a young boy from Iowa who was diagnosed with a rare cancer.

When an Iowa man developed a bacterial infection on the wires of his implanted cardiac device and a nearly impenetrable layer of calcium surrounding it, a heart specialist at University of Iowa Health Care performed a rare procedure that saved the patient’s life.

The Project ADAM: Iowa Heartland program based at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital has designated 16 schools in eastern Iowa as Heart Safe schools and has provided training to UI athletic programs.

Maria Story, MD, has launched two significant programs while working with Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center: one bringing a home hemodialysis option to southeast Iowa for the first time, and one to help primary care physicians follow patients with chronic illness more effectively and efficiently from home.

A unique practicum gives University of Iowa students behind-the-scenes access to golf venues and events, including a tournament on the PGA Tour.

After being diagnosed with a mysterious and painful condition by a sports medicine physician with University of Iowa Health Care, an Iowa State athlete quickly got back on the court following a specialized procedure.

From the west to the east, the University of Iowa and its alumni provide expertise in areas as varied as health care, education, and law.

Jenny Stegen got exactly what she needed at the University of Iowa to return home to northeast Iowa and give back to her community — an education in a top-notch physician assistant training program.

For seven years, a hemifacial spasm took over half of John Mark Feilmeyer’s face. A neurosurgeon at University of Iowa Health Care eliminated it.

Survival outcomes for extremely premature infants at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital are among the best in the world. Evelyn Eilers of Solon, Iowa — born at just 240 grams — is an extraordinary example.

When photographers at The Daily Iowan were granted exclusive access to the Iowa women’s basketball program in the fall of 2023, they got a front-row seat to a historic season and a hands-on workshop on book publishing.

Four years after suffering massive head trauma in an automobile accident, requiring lengthy surgery and facial reconstruction at UI Health Care, Maggie McQuillen left the Carver-Hawkeye Arena stage as a University of Iowa grad.

A group of graduating students from the University of Iowa College of Public Health have laid a solid foundation for a student organization that focuses on reducing health disparities in rural communities — like the ones they call home.

Three-year-old Liam Mattson is always on the go. His parents say that is in large part due to the expertise and advocacy of pediatric specialists at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Treatment for a childhood stutter led Abbi Shekleton to her future professional passion. “I had a great experience with my speech-language pathologist. She really cultivated a love of the field within me. I saw a lot of potential in what can happen with a therapist who is kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable. I thought, ‘I want to be that person for someone else.’”

Graduating UI student Benton Renaud can thank rapper Cardi B, in part, for inspiring him to go down his planned career path. “She said to always take a business class,” Renaud says. “She said they would always be important because you’re going to use business in every aspect of your life. So, I switched to finance and political science and fell in love with the two.”

Brian Damman sought an MBA program that could help him be fluent or at least conversive with clients so that he could give the most resonant legal advice. “The Iowa MBA program jumped out to me because it is so highly regarded, it’s in-state, and it offers flexibility with the online format,” he says.

Jamie Capps had been working in logistics and finance for nearly two decades when she decided to quit her job and pursue her passion for art. “ know that this is where I belong and what I should be doing,” says Capps, who will graduate this spring with an MFA in book arts.

Kevin Dong says he’s been a Hawkeye fan his whole life. So, when choosing a college, the Estherville, Iowa, resident didn’t have to think too hard about where to go. It also didn’t hurt that he knew he wanted to be a pharmacist and the University of Iowa’s College of Pharmacy is ranked among the best 20 in the country.

When UI graduating student MacK Reyes tells her own cinematic stories, she leans toward genres such as horror, mystery, and thrillers. The double major in cinema and screenwriting arts says women tend to be the stars of her stories. “And they normally end with the woman coming out on top in some way or another, which is unique in that genre, I think,” Reyes says.

Regan Day never thought of herself as a researcher: “People don’t typically think of political science as a field in which you conduct research.” But research has played a big role in Day’s time at the University of Iowa while working toward degrees in political science, marketing, and business analytics and information systems.

Months and months of fundraising and planning. Twenty-four hours of dancing. Finally, the numbers went up: $1,454,929.30 raised for pediatric cancer patients being treated at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital. “I’d been up for more than 30 hours, and my feet were really hurting, but when that final total board went up, everything just went away,” says Sushma Santhana, who will graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering.

Many little kids dream of being a Disney Princess. Tatiana Plowman became one: Queen Elena of Avalor. The graduating University of Iowa student from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, works with A Moment of Magic, a nonprofit student organization that brings characters from Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars to entertain underserved and medically vulnerable children.

Wade Gutierrez loved being in the operating room. He also loved spending time in clinic. He wanted a specialty that allowed both. The MD-PhD student in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine’s Cancer Biology Program and Medical Scientist Training Program ultimately chose urology.

Physical activity has always played a big role in Maggie McQuillen’s life. “I’ve been working out my whole life. I played four sports in high school. When I started taking classes for exercise science, I loved it right away.” When McQuillen graduates from the University of Iowa, physical fitness will continue to play a role in her career — most immediately as a personal trainer.

Year after year, Iowa students push to achieve more and come together for the greater good—that’s the Hawkeye Way. Several members of this year’s cohort of new graduates share what made their experiences special.

This spring, more than 5,300 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will earn degrees. These Hawkeyes have engaged, excelled, and stretched to reach their goals.

An off-duty nurse, a football player, and athletic trainer affiliated with the University of Iowa provided timely assistance after a UI Health Care volunteer suffered injuries in a fall.

Arnold Menezes, the world-renowned neurosurgeon and clinician who marks 50 years of service at the University of Iowa, has treated thousands of people throughout his career. Two former patients share how he changed their lives.

Since joining the University of Iowa music faculty, pianist and Cincinnati native William Menefield has found a nurturing place to teach—and to create.

Through their academic work in biostatistics at the University of Iowa, three Iowa siblings with a love for numbers and problem-solving have found enriching — and different — career paths.

Jackson Webber of Peosta, Iowa, was a high school golf standout until a snow accident threatened his future in the game. UI orthopedic surgeons put him on the road to recovery and back on the course.

By establishing the Iowa Cancer Affiliate Network, the University of Iowa aims to support community hospitals across the state in the delivery of comprehensive cancer care to rural Iowans.

Former Navy SEAL Luke Fenner, a graduate of the UI Tippie College of Business MBA program, uses his degree to help wounded warriors.

The ultimate day in medical education arrived in March for 141 senior medical students in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Thirty percent of these graduating students will train in the state of Iowa.