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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.