Calling all Hawkeyes! It´s time to nominate your favorite family for the 2025 University of Iowa Family Spirit Award.
The award recognizes a family-spanning at least three generations of Iowa graduates-that has substantially benefited from and continues to advocate for the university, as well as contributes toward bettering the state of Iowa and its communities.
Nominate a family: https://www.foriowa.org/family-spirit/nomination.php
The recipients of this award will receive the ultimate Hawkeye experience during Family Weekend, Oct. 24-25, 2025, including 20 tickets to the Iowa football game against Minnesota.
To nominate a family, you will need to share:
o The nominee´s name, as well as yours
o Your relationship to the nominee
o Family´s patriarch and/or matriarch
o Names of at least three family members to represent three generations of Iowa graduates
o Why this family is deserving of the UI Family Spirit Award (500 words or less)
Nominations will be accepted until Wednesday, April 30. You can submit your nomination online, or mail your nomination materials to:
The University of Iowa Center for Advancement
c/o University of Iowa Family Spirit Award
One West Park Road
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Contact: Laurel Hall 319-467-3518
Departments: Center for Advancement, Division of Student Life, Office of the Provost
Please join us as we celebrate a faculty appointment in the UI Carver College of Medicine:
We also will recognize the generous donors who established this prestigious position:
A reception will follow in the Jean and Renée Robillard Atrium
No RSVP is necessary. Parking is available in the Newton Road Ramp. There will be no ceremonial processional, and only those participating in the ceremony will wear academic regalia.
Contact: Mackenzie Krob 319-467-3522
Departments: Carver College of Medicine Research, Carver College of Medicine
Hop to it! In this fun and creative workshop, children will transform ordinary socks into adorable bunny friends. Using rice to fill their bodies and buttons for eyes and noses, kids will design and create their own unique and cuddly companions.
Space is limited; please reserve your spot at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/schools-out-at-the-stanley-april-18/3...
Please arrive in time for children to settle in and begin the project at 2 p.m.
School's Out at the Stanley is offered on days when Iowa City Community School District has no classes. Art projects are developed with school-aged children in mind. All abilities and experience levels are welcome. Caregivers must remain with children during the program.
Contact: Stanley Museum of Art 319-335-1727
Departments: Center for Advancement, Office of the Provost
Iowa´s TRACERS mission is gearing up for launch-and you´re invited to go behind the scenes with the experts making it happen.
Join us for a special virtual event to hear from the University of Iowa scientists leading this groundbreaking NASA mission.
What you´ll learn
Launching later this spring, TRACERS will send twin satellites into orbit to explore how the solar wind interacts with Earth´s magnetosphere-one of space science´s mysteries.
At this exclusive event, you´ll learn how NASA selected UI to lead the $165.7 million mission, how Iowa scientists built the cutting-edge instruments aboard the satellites, and what discoveries could come next.
Meet the UI experts
David Miles, professor and TRACERS principal investigator
Jasper Halekas, professor and space physicist
George Hospodarsky, research scientist and engineer
Rich Dvorsky, aerospace and mechanical engineer
Be a part of this historic mission before it launches!
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Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Tegan Donahue in advance at tegan.donahue@foriowa.org.
Contact: Tegan Donahue (319) 467-3393
Departments: Center for Advancement, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Join us for a compelling panel discussion moderated by Katherine Simóne Reynolds and featuring Kelley Lemon, Naima Green, and Alicia Olushola Ajayi.
This conversation will illuminate the many ways Black artists and practitioners are engaging with ecological narratives, uncovering hidden histories, and shaping future landscapes. This event is held in conjunction with the exhibition, it's a fine thing, currently on view at the Stanley Museum of Art.
Moderator:
Katherine Simóne Reynolds is an artist, scholar, and curator who investigates emotional dialects and psychogeographies of Blackness. Her art physicalizes emotions and experiences through portrait photography, video, choreography, and sculpture. Reynolds has exhibited and performed work at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation and The Luminary in St. Louis and at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, among others. Solo exhibitions include the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, Seattle, and the Graham Foundation. She has lectured widely, including at the Contemporary Art Museum and The Saint Louis Art Museum. Reynolds is also a member of the Black Midwest Initiative at the University of Minnesota. Alongside her visual art practice, she has embarked on curatorial projects at The Luminary, SculptureCenter, and exhibitions for Counterpublic 2023 and the Clyfford Still Museum.
Reynolds recently guest curated the exhibition, it's a fine thing, currently on view at the Stanley Museum of Art.
Panelists:
Kelley Lemon (she/her) is a registered landscape architect, and a LEED and EDAC certified professional. She practices both architecture and landscape architecture, with an emphasis in food, productive landscapes, and healthcare and mental/behavioral health environments. Her interests in design and theory of the built environment are built on storytelling and opening space to others to tell their story[ies], by researching and uncovering histories and ecological processes, engaging the people of the community, and developing new techniques and strategies to provide a solution that is of the place and vernacular.
In her design research in the built environment, she focuses on historical and contemporary productive landscapes, emphasizing Black communities, farms, and food across Illinois, toward a goal of broader awareness and education of these histories and for increasing public health of people and places. In this context, I study both rural and urban productive landscapes, as they both offer historical insight on Black migration, settlement, and land management practices. She employs methods of archival work and data collection, historical and current interviews, drawing and mapping, onsite fieldwork, and community participatory design.
Naima Green is an artist and educator who pictures individuals and communities to document their vibrant relationships to place and pleasure. She engages with various photograph forms, sound, installation, and experimental film. Throughout her collaborative practice, Green accesses and prioritizes the nature of intimacy, safety, and self-recognition. Often working in lush and watery environments, she presents windows into multidimensional experiences of seawater and its pathways: beauty, leisure, buoyancy, overwhelm, and submersion. Oral and written histories are critical to her process; by synthesizing archival research with outreach and conversation with current sitters, she frames picture-making and her praxis as a continuum and her still images as kinetic, living histories.
Green has two upcoming solo exhibitions at Astor Weeks and the International Center of Photography in New York. She has had solo shows at Baxter Street CCNY and Fotografiska, both NY, and the Institute of Contemporary Art at VCU, Richmond, Virginia. She has exhibited in group shows at the Getty Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Mass MoCA, BRIC, The Studio Museum in Harlem, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Houston Center for Photography, and Gallery Factory, Minneapolis, and others. She has been an artist-in-residence at Fountainhead Arts, Baxter Street CCNY, Bronx Museum, Center for Photography at Woodstock, MASS MoCA, Penumbra Foundation, Pocoapoco, and Vermont Studio Center, amongst others. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Barnard College Library, Decker Library at MICA, Flaten Art Museum, Fleet Library at RISD, The Getty Research Institute, Hessel Museum of Art, High Museum of Art, International Center of Photography Library, Museum of Modern Art Library, Hirsch Library at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, National Gallery of Art, Smart Museum of Art, Smith College Museum of Art, and Teachers College, Columbia University.
Alicia Olushola Ajayi is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia GSAPP as well as an architectural designer, researcher, writer, and (still trying to figure it out) based in NYC. After receiving a dual masters in architecture and social work from Washington University in St. Louis, Alicia worked as an associate designer at MASS Design Group. There she contributed to the Equal Justice Initiatives Soil Collection exhibition and the ground-breaking Memorial to Peace and Justice in Montogomery, AL., a site dedicated to the racial terror and lynching throughout US history.
Recently she completed a master´s in design research from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York. At SVA, she refined her research practice to be rooted in historical research and cultural theory applications. Ajayi is currently documenting and researching Brooklyn, IL, the first Black American town to be incorporated by 1829. Ajayi´s practice incorporates multiple writing forms from scholarly to commentary to experimental. Her work is featured in The New York Architecture in Review, PIN-UP Magazine, Metropolis, Architectural Record, The Architectural Review, Dear Friend, and The Funambulist. Ajayi serves on the advisory board of Oculus Magazine. She is the show producer for the upcoming podcast Curious Story Lab, an interview platform hosted by influential graphic designer Michele Washington, spotlighting designers of color. Ajayi is also the project manager at BlackSpace Urbanist Collective, a group of design professionals dedicated to protect and create Black spaces.
Artwork Caption:
In Celebration
2017
Screen print, hand-applied ink, Caran d´Ache monotype on multi-sheet paper
96 x 78 in. (243.84 x 198.12 cm)
Loan courtesy of artist
Tyanna Buie
Contact: Stanley Museum of Art 319-335-1727
Departments: Grant Wood Art Colony, School of Art, Art History, and Design, Division of Student Life, University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art
Connect with fellow Hawkeyes and have some fun on the indoor courts at Sure Shot Pickleball, a Hawkeye co-owned business!
All skill levels are welcome, and attendees can join a free lesson during the event. Paddles and food will be provided. Beverages will be available for purchase.
Don´t miss this opportunity to bond with fellow alumni and stay active! Spread the word to other Hawkeyes you know in the area.
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Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Annabelle Vinson in advance at annabelle.vinson@foriowa.org.
Contact: Annabelle Vinson (319) 467-3895
Departments: Center for Advancement
Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Spring Semester!
Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece.
Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and adult writers in all genres are welcome.
Write at the Stanley meets every fourth Sunday of the month. Space is limited, so we encourage you to reserve your spot by clicking the dates below:
Jan. 26 | Barbara Price
Feb. 23 | Akwi Nji
March 23 | Caroline Clay
April 27 | Darius Stewart
May 25 | Jeneé Skinner
Contact: Stanley Museum of Art 319-335-1727
Departments: Department of English, Iowa Writers' Workshop, Pentacrest Museums, Center for Advancement, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, International Writing Program, Office of the Provost, University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, The Writing University
Get ready for summer with the Student Advancement Network and UI Center for Advancement! Join us for Pause for Philanthropy: Swing Into Summer, an event to celebrate Hawkeye connections and share the spirit of giving back.
When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 29
Where: Hubbard Park, next to the Iowa Memorial Union
UI Students, enjoy a free 9-ounce smoothie from Bloom to celebrate the start of summer! The first 250 students will receive a free summer starter kit, with essentials to help you make the most of the season.
Plus, when you stop by, test your knowledge (and win prizes) with Iowa trivia, and learn about staying informed and inspired as Hawkeyes all summer long!
Bonus: All attendees will be entered to win one of 10 hammocks-perfect for lounging on the Pentacrest.
Don't miss this chance to celebrate summer, philanthropy, and the incredible Hawkeye community. See you there!
The University of Iowa Center for Advancement is dedicated to providing an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for everyone. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Holly Jones at holly.jones@foriowa.org.
Contact: Holly Jones (319) 467-3377
Departments: Center for Advancement
You and your fellow Hawkeyes fans are invited to join the Carroll Area I-Club for a special evening in Arcadia! Joining us for the evening will be:
Kirk Ferentz, Moon Family Head Football Coach
Jan Jensen, P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Women´s Basketball Coach
Dave DiIanni, Iowa soccer head coach
Gary Dolphin, voice of the Iowa Hawkeyes
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour, followed by a dinner and program. This event will include cash refreshments, door prizes, and more. Cost is $30 for adults and $15 for youth (seventh grade and younger).
RSVP to Bill Wenger with the Carroll Area I-Club at 712-790-0527 or bcwenger@netins.net.
For more information about this event and other Hawkeye outings, visit jointheiclub.com/events. To learn how you can support Hawkeye student-athletes, visit jointheiclub.com.
Contact: Iowa Athletics Development 319-467-3410
Departments: Center for Advancement
You´re invited to join all Hawkeye fans for a special evening in West Des Moines with the Polk County I-Club. Joining us for the evening will be:
· Gary Dolphin, voice of the Iowa Hawkeyes
· Kirk Ferentz, Moon Family Head Football Coach
· Beth Goetz, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair
· Jan Jensen, P. Sue Beckwith, MD Head Women´s Basketball Coach
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour and raffle. A dinner and program will follow. Ticket prices are:
· $60 for adults
· $25 for youth 12 years old and younger
· $600 for a reserved table of 10 individuals
· $750 for a premium reserved table (closer to the stage) of 10 individuals
Please contact Addison Boughton, Polk Co. I-Club president, at polkcountyiclub@gmail.com with any questions about the event. For more information about other Hawkeye outings, visit jointheiclub.com/events. To learn how you can support Hawkeye student-athletes, visit jointheiclub.com.
Contact: Iowa Athletics Development 319-467-3410
Departments: Center for Advancement
Mellon Research staff, Dr. Peju Layiwola, Fernanda Campos, and Abigail Minor will present their work and examine the questions that lie at the core of provenance research.
Contact: Stanley Museum of Art 319-335-1727
Departments: Department of History, School of Art, Art History, and Design, International Writing Program, University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art
NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!
Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.
Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.
Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session and will sometimes move about the Museum but we'll always start in Mammal Hall on the third Floor of Macbride Hall. Join anytime between 6-8 p.m. and feel free to participate in a themed creation challenge or work on your own project with our exhibits as inspiration. We'll save the last 15-30 minutes of each session to share what we've been working on, connecting with others (optional, of course!).
Please note, the Museum is typically closed during this time, meaning the main entrance to Iowa Hall (atop the large staircase outside on the east side of Macbride Hall) will be closed and locked. All other building doors will be open, offering access to the Ground Floor of Macbride Hall. Mammal Hall is located on the third floor of Macbride Hall and can be reached by stairs or by taking the elevator to the third floor of the building.
Special thanks to Blick Art Materials for supplying extra art materials. Make sure to check in with us in Mammal Hall to check out a variety of special art tools and supplies.
Contact: Jessica Smith 319-335-3591
Departments: Department of Biology, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Department of Rhetoric, Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Iowa Writers' Workshop, Iowa Youth Writing Project, Leadership and Engagement, Magid Center for Writing, Museum of Natural History
Ciraj Rassool, PhD is Senior Professor of Historical Studies at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, and director of the African Programme in Museum and Heritage Studies. He has published widely on changing old museums & making new museums, race in museums, restitution, political movements and the politics of nonracialism. He served on the boards of the District Six Museum & Iziko Museums of South Africa and is a member of the South African National Advisory Board for Restitution and Repatriation. He is a principal investigator on the international collaborative research project, `Reconnecting "Objects": Epistemic Plurality and Transformative Practices in and beyond Museums´ and a co-investigator of the Canadian-based international project, `Thinking Through the Museum´. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the study of the Von Luschan Collection at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany & is a member of the panel of `critical friends´ of the Dutch museum transformation project `Pressing Matter´.
Contact: Stanley Museum of Art 319-335-1727
Departments: Department of History, Nonfiction Writing Program, Center for Advancement, International Writing Program, University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art
As Hawkeyes, we give back throughout our lives.
We're leaders in our professions. We're generous with our time and talent. We're passionate about things we love - especially anything black and gold. And some Hawkeyes continue to make an impact well beyond retirement.
That's why we are honoring Iowa alumni, age 80 and over, who carry the Hawkeye spirit of achievement and continue to help others.
Contact: Erin Brokel 319-467-3668
Departments: Office of Community Engagement, Center for Advancement, Office of the Provost, UI Retirees Association
In a world full of noise, we often try to listen-to conversations with colleagues and family, to music in our headphones, to videos blasting from our smartphones. We hear all these things daily, but what does it mean to truly listen? In what sense do devices also listen to us? What is the role of silence in listening? How has listening changed over time? Can political tensions be solved through listening? How is listening both an art and a science?
This Wide Lens event brings together researchers from science, social sciences, the humanities, and the arts to investigate what it means to listen deeply and thoughtfully. Please join us! This event is free and open to all.
Presenters:
Gerta Bardhoshi, Counseling (College of Education)
Brittany Bettendorf, Rheumatology (Carver College of Medicine)
Eric Hunter, Communication Sciences and Disorders (CLAS)
Julianna Pacheco, Political Science (CLAS)
Damani Phillips, Jazz Studies, School of Music (CLAS)
Morten Schlütter, Religious Studies (CLAS)
Hosts: Luis Martín-Estudillo, Director, Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, and Lauren Cox, Associate Director, Obermann Center for Advanced Studies
Please note that the Capitol Street Parking Ramp repairs begin April 16.
About the series:
The Obermann Center's Wide Lens series aims to inspire and connect the University of Iowa community across the disciplines. For each Wide Lens event, researchers, scholars, and artists from across the university briefly present their work on a shared topic of interest pecha kucha-style. Then, we open the floor to questions and conviviality over hors d'oeuvres and drinks.
Contact: Erin Hackathorn 319-335-4034
Departments: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Department of Political Science, School of Music, Obermann Center, Carver College of Medicine, Center for Advancement, College of Education, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Office of the Vice President for Research
Join us for four discussions of Toni Morrison's Beloved and the exhibition it's a fine thing, led by the Stanley´s curator of special projects and author of What Napoleon Could Not Do, Derek (DK) Nnuro.
Register for each session by clicking the dates below, capped at 30 participants:
Iowa City is one of 62 communities nationwide participating in the 2023-2024 NEA Big Read. From February to May, our community will celebrate Beloved by Toni Morrison with a full calendar of events.
The NEA Big Read in Iowa City is presented in partnership with the Stanley Museum of Art, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
This initiative is tied to the exhibition at the Stanley, it´s a fine thing, opening on Feb. 13, 2025.
More about NEA Big Read: https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/nea-big-read
More about Beloved by Toni Morrison: https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/nea-big-read/beloved
Contact: Stanley Museum of Art 319-335-1727
Departments: Department of History, Center for Advancement, University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art
You and your fellow Hawkeyes are invited to a special evening in Cedar Rapids! Joining us for the event-which is hosted in partnership with the Linn County I-Club-will be:
Clarissa Chun, Iowa women´s wrestling head coach
Seth Wallace (08MA), Iowa football assistant head coach
Randi Henderson (01BS), Iowa women´s basketball assistant coach
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The event will include a program with remarks, door prizes, and food and refreshments-which can be purchased throughout the night.
For more information about this event and other Hawkeye outings, visit jointheiclub.com/events. To learn how you can support Hawkeye student-athletes, visit jointheiclub.com.
Contact: Iowa Athletics Development 319-467-3410
Departments: Center for Advancement
Graduates and their families are invited to stop by the UI Center for Advancement tent for free professional photos, alumni swag, and more.
**This event is weather permitting.
Contact: Lynn Rider (319) 467-3344
Departments: Center for Advancement, College of Dentistry, College of Nursing, College of Public Health, Commencement, Tippie College of Business
Graduates and their families are invited to stop by the UI Center for Advancement tent for free professional photos, alumni swag, and more.
**This event is weather permitting.
Contact: Lynn Rider (319) 467-3344
Departments: Center for Advancement, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Public Health, Commencement, Tippie College of Business
The Drawing Salon focuses on drawing artworks from the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different artwork. The sessions will begin with an introduction and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the artworks in the gallery.
Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only artmaking materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and clipboards for participants to use. Stools and benches are available in the galleries.
Robert Caputo, an Iowa City-based painter and sculptor, will lead the sessions.
The Drawing Salon is limited to 20 participants. Please reserve your spot by clicking below:
Contact: Stanley Museum of Art 319-335-1727
Departments: Pentacrest Museums, Center for Advancement, Office of the Provost, University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art
Grandparents University® is an intergenerational learning program that allows grandparents-or honorary grandparents-to spend a day of discovery with their grandchildren (ages 8-14).
This campus event will offer hands-on educational opportunities with UI experts. You can make lasting memories while exploring engaging topics in everything from the arts and humanities to medicine and science.
Registration opens on Thursday, April 7, 2025, at 9 a.m. and will remain open until Tuesday, July 1, 2025-or until we´ve reached capacity.
For more information, please contact Erin Brokel, at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, at GrandparentsUniversity@foriowa.org or 319-467-3668. We hope to see you on Thursday, July 17, 2025!
The term Grandparents University® is a registered trademark originating at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is used with permission.
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Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please email GrandparentsUniversity@foriowa.org or call 319-467-3668.
Contact: Erin Brokel 319-467-3668
Departments: Center for Advancement
The UI Obermann Center for Advanced studies is accepting applications for Spring 2026 Obermann International Fellowships. This program offers dedicated space, time, and funding for interdisciplinary scholars to collaborate on innovative research at the University of Iowa. Up to eight international fellowships will be granted every academic year. Applicants must be active researchers at an accredited institution of higher learning outside of the United States or independent researchers/artists with a track record of excellence based outside of the U.S. Their area of research must have a direct equivalent at the University of Iowa.
Obermann International Fellows will receive:
A $2,000 stipend to help defray the cost of travel and lodging
University of Iowa health insurance coverage for the duration of the fellowship
Office space at the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies
Temporary University of Iowa affiliation, including access to UI libraries
Structured opportunities for scholarly exchange (seminars, lectures, introduction to UI researchers, etc.)
An official letter of invitation for institutional and visa purposes
Information about accommodations and other practical needs
Read more about the program and application process at https://obermann.uiowa.edu/obermann-international-fellowships. Applications for the Spring 2026 semester are due October 24, 2025.
Obermann International Fellowships are funded by the University of Iowa's Obermann Center for Advanced Studies with generous additional support from International Programs and the Center for Social Science Innovation.
Contact: Erin Hackathorn 319-335-4034
Departments: Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, International Studies Program, Center for Advancement, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, International Programs, International Writing Program, Office of the Vice President for Research
Hear from the eight 2025 Student Impact Grant recipients and learn how private support enhanced their Iowa experience. Student Impact Grants are made possible by generous gifts from alumni and friends who provide unrestricted support to the university.
About Student Impact Grants
The University of Iowa Office of the President and the Student Advancement Network have partnered to create Student Impact Grants, which provide funding for undergraduate and graduate student activities outside of the classroom-including research, travel, and service projects. These grants enable students to pursue opportunities that might not otherwise be possible without financial assistance.
Contact: Holly Jones 319-467-3377
Departments: Carver College of Medicine, Center for Advancement, University Honors Program