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.

Sean Harken, a student in the University of Iowa School of Music, found a natural outlet for his musical talents. The Iowa City native created the soundtrack for a new video hyping the Performing Arts at Iowa initiative.

Many physicians feel the calling to practice medicine from early childhood. For those with no physicians in their families, the decision is often less obvious. Iowa alum Allie Kim shares the story of hard work and self-discovery that led to her dream job.

Second-year student James McCurtis III is the first University of Iowa student selected to take part in the Institute for Responsible Citizenship’s Washington Program.

The University of Iowa College of Public Health trains its students to meet the challenges and opportunities associated with working in the health care field. Meet two Hawkeyes who are putting what they learned into practice in rural Iowa health care facilities.

New technology developed at the University of Iowa comes full circle, as physicians in the cardiac electrophysiology division of UI Health Care are the first in the state to begin using the technology in patient care.

Two University of Iowa medicine alumni met by chance while serving patients in one of the most remote environments on Earth.

The creation of a new University of Iowa Health Care position is giving students invaluable experience while also supporting the workload of hospital staff and enhancing patient care.

In deciding to be a dentist, Amy Seehusen became yet another generation of her family to attend the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and practice in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Software piloted at University of Iowa Health Care automatically turns the radiation beam on and off during treatment to account for a tumor moving out of position—something that can happen due to coughing or breathing.

Graduate student Jacob Payne went to school—but not just any school. Payne earlier this year attended NASA’s Astrophysics Mission Design School, the first ever in astrophysics offered by NASA that teaches grad students how to write proposals for grand-idea, big-budget missions.

Ali Hval, an alumna and lecturer in the School of Art and Art History, brings her public art onto the pedestrian mall with “Scribble Trees.”

Not sure what book to dive into next? For your consideration, here is a shortlist of titles released in 2023 by University of Iowa grads, including the latest winner of the National Book Award for Fiction.

By graduating in December, Will Corbin places himself in the inaugural cohort of UI students earning a degree in risk management and insurance. He’s already employed by a brokerage close to his hometown in central Iowa.

Carter Shockey says the communities he discovered at the University of Iowa will have a lasting impact on his life. The sport and recreation management grad aims to facilitate similar bonds in his professional career.

Reed Zahradnik knew he wanted to work for a Major League Baseball team. He says the opportunities he found at the University of Iowa showed him how to do it.

Despite switching majors early in her University of Iowa experience, Liv Plowman has no regrets. She is now looking forward to her first job as an elementary art teacher in rural Iowa.

University of Iowa doctoral candidate Prarthana Parepalli planned to present her dissertation in mechanical engineering a month ahead of the anticipated arrival of her second child. Mother Nature had other ideas.

This fall, nearly 1,700 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will earn degrees. These Hawkeyes have engaged, excelled, and stretched to reach their goals.

Quinn Anderson of Chariton, Iowa, lives a happy life — something that was not a given following multiple hospitalizations for congenital heart defects.

University of Iowa alumnus Nick Kluesner, MD, is using his background in philosophy to make his mark on the future of health care in Iowa.

As the boy from Delta, Iowa, went through numerous orthopedic surgeries to address his medical condition, his family felt the experts at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital provided them with all the support in the world.

The Business Leadership Network in the UI College of Public Health has backed health and wellness initiatives in small to mid-sized towns across Iowa, providing grants and expertise that allow these community efforts to flourish.

After he was diagnosed with leukemia, Cooper worried he would never be able to leave the hospital. His care team at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital made sure the North Liberty, Iowa, boy’s fears did not become reality.

Kimmi Chex says she shot for the stars and landed on them. The popular NFL on-air personality and analyst says what she learned at the University of Iowa helped get her there.

After Chloe was diagnosed with several serious conditions—including a bony mass that split her spinal cord—her family was reassured by the collaborative and compassionate nature of UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital experts.

Not only did all three sisters in one family study audiology and speech-language pathology, but each also earned admission to the highly ranked and highly selective clinical doctoral program in audiology at the University of Iowa.

On the heels of a leukemia diagnosis, the young boy from Maquoketa, Iowa, faced the grim prospect of a flesh-eating disease. UI Health Care providers put Lincoln on the road to recovery and supported his entire family through it all.

Keeli Frerichs was a star soccer player and avid exerciser until a heart condition sidelined her. The path back to an active lifestyle brought the St. Ambrose student to UI Health Care, home to one of the few experts in the nation who perform a new procedure to treat the condition.

Chuck Xander, Iowa’s new embedded counselor focusing on Veterans and military-connected students, brings a great blend of empathy and expertise to the role because of his own military service and educational background.

The Iowa Hawkeyes played a historic women’s college basketball game in an outdoor football stadium, and more than 55,000 fans showed up—nearly doubling the NCAA’s former single-game attendance record.

After the young girl from LeClaire, Iowa, was diagnosed with two rare conditions, doctors at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital worked to find the medications to reduce her seizures and improve her muscle strength.

Nanea Estrella is grateful for Iowa fans’ support for her neighbors in Lahaina, Hawaii, whose community was devastated by wildfires. That outpouring reinforces the Tippie College of Business student’s decision to be a Hawkeye.

Ericka Muhlbauer sees her family medicine practice in Carroll as a way to repay her community for helping her achieve her dream of being a physician.

Cedar Falls native Zach Graham feels an obligation to serve others. That helps explain why Graham, a student in dental surgery in the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and an Army Veteran, was named a 2023 Pat Tillman scholar.

When newborn screening revealed Max Schlee had a rare inherited disorder, the Farmersburg, Iowa, boy was referred to UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, where his care team allayed his family’s fears and answered their questions.