Great stories happen at Iowa

Graduate spotlight: Bethanny Sudibyo
Bethanny Sudibyo was born in Indonesia and has traveled the world. But the University of Iowa doctoral student, who enjoys writing about the places she visits, describes the campus community in Iowa City as a must-see. “I knew coming in that the University of Iowa was known for its writing programs and for different activities and festivals related to writing and literature, but it was surprising to see just how active the writing community was.”

Graduate spotlight: Brian Segura
Brian Segura is graduating with a BS in exercise science and a minor in psychology, and will stay in Iowa City to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Iowa. “Hawkeyes are everywhere,” Segura says. “It means a lot to know you’re coming from a school that has so much pride.

Graduate spotlight: Cameron Bottum
Cameron Bottum says one of the first things he learned about being a Hawkeye is that Hawks help Hawks. And if you want to work in sports, that can be especially helpful. “Networking is crucial. One connection in one place can lead you on a completely unrelated and weird path to get another connection somewhere else.”

Graduate spotlight: Daniel McGregor-Huyer
Daniel McGregor-Huyer graduated from the University of Iowa REACH program in 2020, but felt he had unfinished business on campus. So, he says he took a gamble and applied as a traditional student at Iowa. He was accepted and graduated in May 2023 with a BA in cinematic arts and certificate in disability studies.

Graduate spotlight: Demi Kendros
During their time as an Iowa theatre arts student, Demi Kendros found a campus full of clubs and resources, experienced compassionate instructors during the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, and achieved the goal of becoming a better writer. “I’ve become a multidisciplined writer. I’ve become a better collaborator. I’ve become a better listener.”

Graduate spotlight: Dominique Badajoz
Dominique Badajoz came from California to the University of Iowa sight unseen in order to better explore her roots. She’s accomplished that goal: she became connected to her tribal nation (Meskwaki Sac & Fox), planned the UI Powwow, served as Native American Student Association president, and will graduate with a degree in studio arts and minors in informatics and Native American and Indigenous studies.

Graduate spotlight: Gillian Marbury
Gillian Marbury tested out several majors at the University of Iowa before learning her true passion lay in ancient civilizations and classical languages. “I’d always really loved Greek mythology. I mean, who hasn’t read Percy Jackson?” Marbury says, laughing. “I ended up absolutely falling in love with it.”

Graduate spotlight: John Dickens
The COVID-19 pandemic created numerous challenges for college students. And while that certainly was the case for John Dickens, it also led him to his next step in life. Dickens will graduate with a master’s degree with an emphasis in policy and focus his research on rural public health needs.

Graduate spotlight: Kate Conlow
Kate Conlow was deputy managing editor of The Iowa Review when on a whim she decided to walk over to the University of Iowa College of Law to attend a prospective student open house. As she describes it, the stars aligned: “The writing and editing and critical and creative thinking that I love to engage in, plus community involvement … I realized it was a perfect fit for the way I think and what I like to do.”

Graduate spotlight: Mara Frieden
Mara Frieden knew she wanted to study business but wasn’t sure about which specific areas of the field she was most passionate. She says direct admission to the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business allowed her to quickly discover the perfect fit. A job on the product launch team at John Deere awaits.

Graduate spotlight: McKenna Warnock
When you attend the University of Iowa, you don’t have to make the Final Four to have a city and a state rally around you. McKenna Warnock noticed that supportive vibe when she arrived on the Iowa campus for a visit, and she fell in love with the idea of being a Hawkeye.

Graduate spotlight: Olivia Goodyear
Olivia Goodyear always knew she’d get to do some amazing things as a University of Iowa student, but a few experiences still surprised her. For example, how often does a clarinet player get to help cut down the net at a Big Ten women’s basketball tournament? And have a role in important pediatric audiology research?

Graduate spotlight: Pamela Moya
Pamela Moya felt at home at Iowa as soon as she visited campus. The computer science and engineering graduate found peers who wanted her to succeed, a living learning community that shaped her as a person, and solace in her work in the Learning Spaces Technology department. She heads to a systems engineer job in Chicago having made special friendships and everlasting memories.

Graduate spotlight: Ryan Longenecker
Ryan Longenecker describes himself as deeply invested in politics. His experiences as a University of Iowa student—time in student government, the internships he was able to hold on campus and with political campaigns—have sharpened his skills, broadened his network, and given him the confidence to make a difference in the next election cycle. “I feel set to go after graduation and to continue doing the work that I really care about.”

Graduate spotlight: Summer Choi
When Summer Choi arrived at the University of Iowa, she didn’t know anyone. Now, she has made so many friends and connections in Iowa that she’d love to stick around. Choi’s circle undoubtedly grew through her involvement: president of Delta Phi Lambda Sorority; member of the Multicultural Greek Council; intern in web design at the Iowa City Public Library and in UI Information Technology Services.

Graduate spotlight: Tyler Humphreys
Tyler Humphreys may have grown up in Richardson, Texas, but his Hawkeye roots run deep. His grandfather, Lloyd “Buck” Humphreys, and uncle, Charlie Humphreys, both played football for the University of Iowa during years the team played in the Rose Bowl. Humphreys will receive a juris doctorate from the UI College of Law this spring and head back to Texas, where he will join the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.

Graduate spotlight: Zoe Dervin
Zoe Dervin credits the Iowa Edge mentorship program for giving her a confident head-start on college. She tried many activities and joined numerous organizations — the UI Fencing Club, the DJ staff at KRUI, and a return to Iowa Edge as a mentor — and now will explore the career fields of speech pathology and audiology.

Noted archaeologist to receive honorary degree
Shirley Schermer became a worldwide leader in the respectful treatment of ancestral remains through her work in the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist.

Transformative artist to receive honorary degree
Iowa alumnus Oliver Lee Jackson’s paintings, sculptures, and prints have been exhibited in museums across the country—including the campus where he began to find his voice.

Spring 2023 graduate spotlights
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.

Celebrating Iowa’s spring 2023 grads
This spring, more than 5,400 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will earn degrees. These Hawkeyes have engaged, excelled, and stretched to reach their goals.

The MBA program that knows no boundaries
With online and in-person options, the Iowa MBA is the top-ranked offering in Iowa, training business leaders in counties across the Hawkeye State (and beyond).

Helping cells seek and destroy cancer
A type of immunotherapy that takes a patient’s own white blood cells and modifies them in the lab to better recognize cancer works remarkably well in the treatment of certain blood cancers. The University of Iowa now is looking to reproduce similar results in other cancers.

Hawkeyes celebrate with the ‘best fans in America’
Thousands of fans joined the Iowa women’s basketball team on the Pentacrest to celebrate the Hawkeyes’ historic season, which was capped with a run to the national title game.

An excellent prognosis after a second opinion
After experiencing mysterious symptoms, a second opinion led Scarlette Wheelock to UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital, where specialists discovered the preschooler from Clinton, Iowa, had brain cancer. Her tumor has remained stable since her treatment.

Practicing humanity in medicine around the globe
Carver College of Medicine alumnus Rufus Kruse practiced internal medicine in Marshalltown, Iowa, for 35 years, becoming an integral member of the community with a reputation for providing thoughtful patient care.

Bladder cancer breakthrough
With the conventional first-line drug for early-stage bladder cancer in short supply, new therapies developed at Iowa are poised to lead a new wave of care.

Alumna donates kidney to fellow Hawkeye
Serendipity led Christine Hayes to become a living organ donor to her Iowa City neighbor with polycystic kidney disease. More than a year after the transplant surgery occurred at University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center, both are doing well.

Alumnus finds rewarding surgical career in rural Iowa
As a teenager, University of Iowa graduate Jesse Van Maanen knew he wanted to be a surgeon. What he didn’t know is that he would end up practicing in a hospital 10 minutes from where he grew up.

Family of doctors provide family care in rural Iowa towns
Four members of the Ahrendsen family graduated from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and now practice in Clarion and Storm Lake, Iowa.

Small town a perfect fit for family of doctors
When residents of Clarion, Iowa, go to the doctor, it’s possible they will be seen by one of three members of the same family—Jon Ahrendsen or his daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and Michael McLoughlin.

Finding fulfillment in family medicine
Elizabeth Dupic’s goal was always to practice family medicine in a small town — like her father and sister before her. After she graduated from the University of Iowa, she found a perfect fit in Storm Lake, Iowa.

A new mindset on mental health
With demand for mental health services surging in Iowa and across the nation, especially among young adults, the University of Iowa is working to create a culture of well-being.

Athletics, UI REACH make a perfect team
Cooper Reaves always wanted to be a Hawkeye. Thanks to UI REACH—a transition program for students with intellectual, cognitive, and learning disabilities—and a student manager internship with “Bluder’s Bunch,” that dream is a reality.

Data for decades: Cancer registry has profound impact
For 50 years, the Iowa Cancer Registry, at the University of Iowa, has served the state of Iowa as the trusted source for high-quality cancer data. The registry’s efforts inform research and prompt prevention, screening, and treatment.

Iowa students help create Maquoketa neighborhood
The original designs for a 10-home “pocket neighborhood” that opened in fall of 2022 were created by University of Iowa engineering students, as part of a project associated with the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities.

Radiologist’s priority: Making connections
Quad Cities physician and UI grad Christine Walsh combined her interest in radiology—typically a “behind the scenes” role in medicine—with her passion for forming trusting, long-term relationships with patients.

UI Sports Medicine helps player recover in time to win title
Persistent knee pain could have derailed Dylan Kurt’s high school basketball career. The specialized care UI Sports Medicine offers to athletes of all ages allowed the North Linn senior to be part of the Lynx’s championship season.

Unveiling new state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs
The new labs provide patients with easier access to services at UI Health Care Heart and Vascular Center, Iowa’s only comprehensive center for advanced cardiac care.

Iowa academy inspires next wave of space researchers
Aspiring scientists touched down at the University of Iowa for the Edge of Space Academy, an immersive course fueled by a legacy of astrophysics research.

A ‘Whale’ of a tale
Iowa Playwrights Workshop grad Samuel D. Hunter talks about writing his deeply personal play, “The Whale,” and adapting it for film—one that’s generating buzz this awards season.

Screenplays with an Iowa touch
The University of Iowa’s new major in screenwriting arts builds on the institution’s long and renowned tradition in creative writing—and enrollment is growing fast.

Offering comprehensive care in one location
University of Iowa Health Care is able to treat a Dyersville family’s wide range of specialty care issues—from mom to baby, from rare to common—all in one place.

UI surgeon performs high-tech iris repair
Following Larry Molyneux’s eye injury, surgeons at University of Iowa Health Care performed an artificial iris implant using advanced technology. The What Cheer man’s vision has improved and his eye looks natural.

’22: Another banner year for UI writers
Another year, another bounty of books from University of Iowa writers. Enjoy this cross section of titles published in 2022, all written by artists with ties to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Back on her feet despite all odds
Margaret Coleman says doctors at University of Iowa Health Care performed a miracle after she was pinned under her car, crushing her pelvis and dissociating her spine. But her doctors say she’s the one who deserves the credit.

Improving the dream for herself and others
University of Iowa biomedical engineering graduate Pareen Mhatre works to make the world a better place for heart disease patients and for those in immigration limbo.

An aim to better understand the unexpected
After meeting the University of Iowa’s supportive community of prestigious epilepsy researchers, doctoral candidate Alex Petrucci has made great research advances in her exploration of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.