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.

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

“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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Two University of Iowa student-athletes participated over the summer in Coach for College, a global initiative that promotes higher education through sports. They expanded what they knew about the world and themselves.

University of Iowa women’s basketball player Sharon Goodman takes academics as seriously as she does her teamwork, earning the admiration of her peers as she goes through the daily grind of sports and school.

After decades of cultivating award-winning writers, the University of Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program has a place on campus to call its own.

The University of Iowa welcomes another academically accomplished cohort of students this fall.

At the University of Iowa, Hawkeyes are changing people’s lives or changing the game completely — storybook scenarios befitting of the best public university for writing and communication.

A practicum gives University of Iowa students exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the inaugural Chicago event and a chance to pitch promotional campaigns to NASCAR executives.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.