CLAS Research Resource – Undergraduate and Graduate Research Edition

CLAS RESEARCH RESOURCE May 2021 | Student Research Edition

STUDENT RESEARCH: TRANSFORMING LEARNERS INTO DISCOVERERS Spring is here, the semester is rolling to a close, and with vaccinations and temperatures on the rise, we have the summer to look forward to. What a difference a year makes! Though we have lingering pandemic-related worries to deal with, it’s easy to feel a real sense of rebirth this

spring that was sorely lacking in 2020. As we head into commencement and the season of graduation parties, what better time to highlight the amazing work of our most plentiful and varied group of researchers in CLAS: our graduate and undergraduate students? This gala issue of CLAS Research Resource focuses entirely on student research, scholarship, and creative activity, with cameo appearances by some of our faculty who play a particularly strong role in promoting and facilitating the innovative and inspiring work of our students.

My second child just went through the college application process, and will begin her studies in the fall. Throughout that process, I had occasion to think again about the special role that “Research I” universities such as ours play in our nation’s higher education landscape.

There are many fine small colleges that provide excellent educational experiences, often with unique advantages. But few can provide the breadth, depth, and interdisciplinary environment of a research university like ours: after all, the Latin universitas means “a whole”, and Iowa truly brings the entire world of research and scholarship to our students. As the University of Iowa’s largest college that educates–in part or in whole–the vast majority of its students, CLAS’s mission includes

an imperative to introduce students to the joy of discovery.

The richest CLAS student experience will be one that moves them from the consumption of knowledge to its generation, and from a passive intake of information to an active role in shaping the future of our world. It is this process that we celebrate in the pages of this issue. Congratulations to all of our graduate and undergraduate researchers! We are so proud of their accomplishments and look forward to following their bright futures.

This newsletter brings my first academic year as Associate Dean for Research to a close. It has been a hectic one in so many ways (let’s make the next one “normal”, OK?), but at the same time immensely gratifying and inspiring. I have met with many of our departments (not quite all yet, but I’m getting there!), toured our facilities, learned so much about our college and its role in the broader university, and enjoyed getting to know better the work of our outstanding artists, scholars, performers, writers, and scientists: faculty, students, and staff. The breadth of our College makes every day varied and interesting, and I am grateful for the privilege of working to serve its research mission. I hope these CLAS Research Resource newsletters have been a helpful source of news, information, and inspiration for you. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the team who works with me to put it all together: Nic Arp and his Strategic Communications team; Kristi Fitzpatrick (Grant Support Office); Eugene Buck (Facilities); Lance Bolton (Technology Services); Stratis Giannakouros (Office of Sustainability and the Environment); and the indispensable Allison Bierman. We’ll return in the fall, when we’ll settle into a twice-per-semester publishing schedule. I wish all of you a fun and relaxing summer; as always feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance.

Joshua Weiner Associate Dean for Research Professor of Biology College of Liberal Arts and Sciences joshua-weiner@uiowa.edu Read this article online

CLAS RESEARCH AND INFRASTRUCTURE UNITS: Associate Dean for Research CLAS Technology Services Space, Facilities, and Equipment Grant Support Office Office of Sustainability and the Environment

UPCOMING GRANT AND FELLOWSHIP DEADLINES: MAY, JUNE, AND JULY This is a list of selected grant and fellowship programs that have deadlines in May, June, and July. For a more comprehensive list of active grant programs, please visit the UI Grant Bulletin.

UI Internal Programs 06/01/21 – Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes and Obesity Research: Seed Grants, Catalyst Grants (Letter of Intent) TBD – Graduate Student Senate/ Graduate College: Degree-Related Travel Award TBD – Graduate and Professional Student Government: Research, Service, or Travel Grants Rolling – International Programs: Special Projects Awards UI Limited Submission Programs 05/12/21 – William T Grant Foundation: Scholars Program for Research on Youth Settings 05/17/21 – Department of State: Defending Against Cyber-Enabled Intellectual Property Theft

06/01/21 – National Institutes for Health: Data Science Research: Personal Health Libraries for Consumers & Patients

National Endowment for the Arts

Foundation: Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES)

05/18/21 – Preservation and Access Education and Training

07/20/21 – Grants for Art Projects 08/18/21 – Our Town Program

06/25/21 – National Endowment for the National Endowment for the Humanities – All Grant Program Humanities: Summer Stipends 2022 Opportunities 06/30/21 – Department of State: Public 05/13/21 – American Rescue Plan: Diplomacy with NATO Countries Humanities Grantmaking 07/20/21 – National Science 05/14/21 – American Rescue Plan: Foundation: Research Traineeship Humanities Organizations Program (NRT) 05/18/21 – Research and Development 08/10/21 – National Science

05/20/21 – Humanities Initiatives at Colleges and Universities 06/09/21 – Digital Projects for the Public 06/24/21 – Digital Humanities

Advancement Grant 07/15/21 – Humanities Collections and Reference Resources 08/11/21 – Media Projects 08/11/21 – Short Documentaries 08/11/21 – Public Humanities Projects National Institutes of Health – Complete list of standard due dates 06/05/21 – Research Grants (R01 – new) 06/12/21 – Research Career Development (K Series – new) 06/16/21 – Other Research Grants (R03, R21, R33, R21/33, R34, R36 – new only) 06/25/21 – Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15 – all) 07/05/21 – Research Grants (R01renewal, resubmission, revision) 07/12/21 – Research Career Development (K Series-renewal, resubmission, revision) 07/16/21 – Other Research Grants (R03, R21, R33, R21/33, R34, R36 – renewal, resubmission, revision) 07/16/21 – Individual National Research Service Awards (F Series – all) 08/12/21 – Conference Grants and Conference Cooperative Agreements (R13, U13 – all) National Science Foundation – Active Funding Opportunities (several deadlines each month; selected programs below)

06/14/21 – Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC)

US Department of Housing and Urban Development

06/15/21 – Perception, Action & Cognition (PAC)

Rolling – Office of Policy Development and Research Unsolicited Research Proposals

07/01/21 – Archaeology and Archaeometry 07/14/21 – Science of Learning and Augmented Intelligence (SL) 07/15/21 – Developmental Sciences (DS) 07/15/21 – Linguistics 07/15/21 – Social Psychology 07/20/21 – Biological Anthropology

US Department of Defense 05/15/21 – Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Broad Agency Announcement for Basic Scientific Research, Foundational Science Research Unit 06/07/21 – Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative

07/21/21 – Improving Undergraduate US Agency for International STEM Education: Education and Human Development Resources (IUSE: EHR) 05/30/21 – Global Health Broad Agency 07/26/21 – Faculty Early Career Announcement for Research and Development Program (CAREER) Development 08/02/21 – Law & Science

US Department of Agriculture

08/13/21 – Cognitive Neuroscience (CogNeuro)

07/29/21 – NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Foundational and Applied Science

08/16/21 – Cultural Anthropology Senior Research Awards (CA-SR) 08/16/21 – Cultural Anthropology Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (CA-DDRIG) 08/16/21 – Geoinformatics 08/16/21 – Security and Preparedness (SAP) 08/16/21 – Sociology

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 05/05/21 – Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Rolling – Evidence for Action: Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health Rolling – Pioneering Ideas: Exploring the Future to Build a Culture of Health

National Sporting Library & Museum 08/17/21 – Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) 07/15/21 – 2022 John H. Daniels Fellowship Program 08/25/21 – Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

Foundation for Child Development

05/06/21 – National Robotics Initiative 3.0: Innovations in Integration of Robotics

08/26/21 – Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS)

06/08/21 – Young Scholars Program (LOI)

US Department of Energy

05/12/21 – Stimulating Collaborative Advances Leveraging Expertise in the Mathematical and Scientific Foundations of Deep Learning (SCALE MoDL)

Environmental Protection Agency

06/14/21 – University-Based Energy Industry Research and Development of Scalable Cyber-Physical Solutions

05/07/21 – Environmental Justice Small Grants Program

06/24/21 – Solar Energy Technologies FY21 Photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar Power

05/07/21 – Roddenberry Fellowship Program

06/01/21 – Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) 06/01/21 – Research Training Groups in the Mathematical Sciences (RTG)

Roddenberry Foundation

THE GRAD SUCCESS CENTER:

Support for grad students’ external funding and professional development from the Graduate College In this issue dedicated to student research and creative work, I’d like to feature one of the university’s key resources for graduate students. The Grad Success Center, housed in the Graduate College, supports graduate students’ professional, academic, and personal success during graduate school and beyond. They assist with finding and applying for external grants and fellowships, finding and applying for jobs, honing your teaching practice, and communicating your research to a variety of audiences.

The Grad Success Center is led by Jennifer Teitle, Ph.D., the Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development, and employs two Graduate Careers and Fellowships Advisors that offer consultations, writing feedback, and learning opportunities. Elizabeth Savelkoul, Ph.D., offers career and funding consultations for students in STEM and social science fields. Brady Krien, doctoral candidate in the English department, offers funding and career consultations for students in the humanities, social science, and art disciplines. Both offer assistance with external fellowships and grants, academic and non-academic career materials, exploration of careers options outside academia, and developing a professional network and career strategies. Graduate students can schedule an appointment online and email grad-success@uiowa.edu with questions.

In addition to the advisors, the Grad Success Center houses the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning (CIRTL), a program that helps graduate students and post-doctoral scholars learn

effective, research-based teaching practices. Lisa Kelly, PhD, leads the center and offers workshops and consultations on effective teaching, communicating research, networking, and preparing for academic and non-academic jobs. The Grad Success Center also coordinates the campus Three Minute Thesis (3MT) research communication competition, New Graduate Student Orientation, and Dinner for Twelve; these events and workshops are managed by Vivian Sheridan, the group’s program coordinator and a student in the Educational Leadership EdD program.

The Grad Success Center also offers a Fellowship Incentive Program for currently enrolled UI graduate students to encourage students to apply for nationally competitive grants and fellowships, such as the NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants and Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships. In order to be eligible for the $400 incentive, students must consult with and receive feedback from both faculty and fellowships advisors prior to submitting their national grant and fellowship applications.

The Grad Success Center hosts a variety of learning opportunities throughout the year and is available to schedule workshops or professional development series for your department or student organization. A complete list of events and registration information is available on the Grad Success Center’s website.

Kristi Fitzpatrick Director, Grant Support Office Read this article online

Grad Success Center staff: Jen Teitle, Elizabeth Savelkoul, Brady Krien, Lisa Kelly, Vivian Sheridan

Graduate students: Sign up for the Grad Success Center’s biweekly professional development newsletter to get the latest information about the center’s offerings and to stay up to date on opportunities for graduate students around campus.

Check out featured funding opportunities for graduate students.

FEATURED FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS The National Science Foundation offers two major opportunities for graduate students. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program is open to students in research-based Master’s or doctoral programs in the natural sciences, mathematical sciences, social sciences and STEM education & learning. Fellows receive three years of support including a living stipend and education allowance. The application deadline falls in October annually. The Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants support dissertation research by doctoral students pursuing projects that enhance basic scientific knowledge in one of NSF’s disciplines. Deadlines and application instructions vary by discipline.

The National Institutes of Health Student Programs include the Ruth Kirschstein National Service Awards (F30/F31) that support promising predoctoral students conducting dissertation research, students enrolled in dual degree programs, and/or students from underrepresented backgrounds. NIH also offers a Dissertation Award (R36) to support dissertation research costs for students in accredited research doctoral programs in the United States. NIH holds three competitions each year and deadlines can be found on NIH’s Standard Due Dates site.

The Ford Foundation Fellowship Program offers two major awards for graduate students who are committed to post-secondary teaching careers and will use diversity as a resource to enrich students’ education. The Predoctoral Fellowship provides three years of stipend support for students that have at

least three years remaining in the program, and the Dissertation Fellowship provides a stipend for your final dissertation completion year. The fellowships are awarded to students in a variety of disciplines and a complete list of eligible fields can be found on their website. The application deadline falls in December annually.

The American Council of Learned Societies offers the Mellon/ ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships open to advanced graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in the last year of PhD writing. Fellows will receive a living stipend and additional funds for university fees and research support.

The deadline falls in October annually.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open to undergraduate juniors and seniors, graduate students, and alumni, and is designed to give students and young professionals international experience. Projects may include English Teaching Assistantships, independent research, creative project, coursework or degree programs, and training in music conservatory or art school. UI’s internal deadline falls in early September each year and you may contact UI’s Fulbright Program Advisor for additional guidance about the application process.

These are just a few of the myriad of opportunities that students may pursue. For a more complete list, please see the Division of Sponsored Programs’ Grant Bulletin and the Graduate College’s pages for Internal Fellowships and External Fellowships and Grant Support.

Read this article online

CLAS TECH SERVICES STUDENT EMPLOYEES SUPPORT CLAS/UI RESEARCH CLAS Technology Services (CLAS TS) has a strong team of talented student employees who are contributing to CLAS research success.

Elias Shaeffer, a graduating senior studying biomedical engineering with a minor in computer science, has been working with the CLAS TS Linux Group since September 2019, and has been involved in building reports and scripts that help support the operation of Linux computer management for CLAS faculty and researchers.

Elias has leveraged coding skills and technologies he’s learned while working in CLAS TS, including coaching from Linux Group staff, in his course work and projects, as well as developed the experience needed to be selected for a research opportunity with Dr. Terry Braun in the College of Engineering.

Elias worked fulltime during the summer of 2020, writing code and processing jobs against the University of Iowa High Performance Computing Cluster. This is not a simple or lowlevel task, and required his experience in Linux command-line and Python code, both learned as part of his work with CLAS TS. Elias’s role was developing a script that allowed the researchers to count variance in each step and further filter those variants.

Elias has already accepted a position post-graduation and credited his selection directly to the debugging experience he developed while working with CLAS TS. Elias’s comment when sharing the good news with his supervisor in CLAS TS was that once he mentioned his work in Linux to the interviewers, they overran the allotted time as they continued asking questions regarding his experiences working with the Linux Group.

As Elias moves on to his status as a CLAS alumnus, a new student is onboarding to fulfill his roll with the CLAS TS Linux Group and is part of an effort to develop a support framework for the future of quantum computing. Melissa Krumm, a secondyear computer science major, joined the CLAS TS Linux Group in February and is quickly engaging in this new effort. Melissa is learning how to use the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform called BRAKET to support the future Department of Energyfunded quantum computing research needs of Professor of Physics and Astronomy Yannick Meurice, and related research in CLAS. Beyond research, CLAS TS student employees are also engaged in creating solutions that support the operation of CLAS departments.

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Alfredo Filerio, a third-year computer science and engineering major, is working alongside CLAS TS Application Developer Cale Bierman to write and update applications used in departments for invoice-tracking, poster-printing web forms, and TA course assignment, as well as correcting the display of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities feed on the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences website.

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Ashwini Shivaprasad, a fourth-year biomedical engineering major, is developing reporting dashboards in PowerBI (an industry-standard data analytics tool) that show usage data for the UI Checkout@Iowa equipment reservation and checkout application. These visualizations tell stories about usage trends and frequencies, equipment availability and types, and geo-location of activities. While these dashboards are not yet available for consumption, the goal is to share this data with Checkout@Iowa centers to make informed planning decisions.

Please be in touch with your computing needs! Our talented staff—including bright student employees like Elias, Melissa, Alfredo, and Ashwini—are ready to help you find the right solution for your research.

Read this article online Lance Bolton Senior Director, CLAS Technology Services College of Liberal Arts and Sciences lance-bolton@uiowa.edu 319-335-6158 CLAS Technology Services is proud to support research at Iowa.

And we are proud to offer crucial learning opportunities to our undergraduate student employees! Students like Elias (pictured) gain a leg up in the classroom and on the job market because of their hands-on experience working with our team of technology professionals to support research.

Let us know how we can help you with your research!

IN THE PRAIRIE, ON COMP AND ON STAGE, STUDENT T SUPPORT EXPERIENTIAL L

Apply for STF Funds More information on how departments can apply for STF funds can be found here: https://clas.uiowa.edu/it-group/student-technology-fees.

We welcome your ideas for how technology can innovate in our classrooms!

PUTERS, IN STUDIOS, TECHNOLOGY FEES LEARNING

Iowa Student Sequencing Project

Student Technology Fees (STF) play a vital role in the creation, maintenance, and improvement of instructional technology resources in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These funds go far beyond providing standard classroom needs–as important as these are–such as updated laptop carts, document cameras, and TILE technology refreshes. STF funds also ensure students have resources that help them learn not only how to use technologies, but also to understand how these technologies impact the world around us. From 3-D printers in the School of Art and Art History to digital broadcasting equipment in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, STF funds create opportunities for student experiential learning, feeding their inquisitive nature, and providing tools for creative expression, exploring research, and engaging with the broader world.

During the past academic year, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has funded several groundbreaking projects through STF funds, helping to bring technology-driven research into the classroom:

Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory In cooperation with a broad mix of 10 departments across colleges and organizations at the University, this project will create a five-acre “living laboratory” field site for environmental research education at the Ashton Cross-Country course on the west campus.

The STF funds allocated for this project will enhance multiple courses across several departments in CLAS by covering the purchase and installation of equipment and instrumentation to gather research data on environmental systems at the field site.

These include deep groundwater aquifers, surface ecology and soils, and concentrations of gases in the upper atmosphere. Analysis of the collected data by students in CLAS courses will give insights on the impact and health of ecological systems.

The Department of Biology has put together a new capstone course experience in genomics that will provide students an opportunity to generate and publish a completely sequenced genome. STF funds were allocated for several small table-top DNA sequencers to be used in class, as well as a larger machine for higher throughput sequencing. Biology students will be able to sequence genomes of understudied animals or plants, contributing to the genomic literature, and will learn to integrate molecular-genetic tools and data sets in a hands-on, meaningful way.

Mobile Motion Capture Studio The Department of Theatre Arts is utilizing STF funds to create a mobile motion capture studio that will enhance student coursework and generate cross-disciplinary collaborations.

This project will allow the use of motion capture in the creation of cinema, television, digital puppets, animation, video games, virtual reality, augmented reality, and live performance. The mobile motion capture studio provides a laboratory for student performers, designers, playwrights, directors, and choreographers to expand their creative voice, and it will help CLAS students become leaders in the evolution of performance.

Read this article online

Eugene Buck CLAS Director of Facilities

OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT INTERNS CONDUCT RESEARCH, SOLVE PROBLEMS

Stratis Giannakouros Director, Office of Sustainability and the Environment

When the University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) moved into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2019, one of the primary goals was for the office to foster and facilitate student research in disciplines throughout the college and university. We are proud to be accomplishing our mission!

During the 2020-2021 academic year, in addition to supporting ICRU research scholarships, OSE directly supported 15 paid undergraduate internships. Interns, who represent a dozen majors, work closely with staff to develop projects based upon their academic interest. The goal of the internships is to complement classroom learning with experiential/applied opportunities. Interns often develop projects in concert with faculty, staff, or community organizations, with the support of a broad range of campus stakeholders. Students focus and conduct research on a variety of issues, from prairie reconstruction and campus biodiversity to food system research to lead contamination in K-12 schools.

I invite you to meet these bright and innovative OSE research interns and learn about their work—and to let us know when you have a research project we can help you conduct!

1. Isabella Mullins Isabella is a second-year student majoring in Sustainability Sciences and minoring in Spanish. She is passionate about sustainability because she “loves science, especially sustainability science” because she can “learn about the Earth, its natural processes, and how to conserve it.” Isabella believes that sustainability can be seen all around us and in everything we do.

According to Isabella, “we need to be aware and understand the future and use sustainability to combat it in a positive, impactful way.” At OSE, Isabella is conducting the Real Food Project and creating sustainability-centered ICON modules.

4. Katey Namanny Katey is a second-year student majoring in Environmental Engineering and minoring in Environmental Policy and Planning. She is passionate about sustainability because “earth is a home that everyone shares.” She believes that “everyone deserves access to Earth’s resources and beauty.” She is dedicated to her education and career in order to ensure that equal access. Katey is working with OSE to enact sustainability initiatives throughout University of Iowa Health Care. Her work focuses on collaborating with UIHC to minimize their environmental impact and improve the health and well-being of patients.

Learn more about Isabella’s work.

Learn more about Katey’s work.

2. Kevin Larson Kevin is a third-year Environmental Policy and Planning major.

He believes that when we are confronting climate change, we need to ensure that the transition to a green economy is equitable, especially for those in frontline communities. He is interested in the transition to renewable and clean energy, lowintensity agricultural practices, and reducing car dependency.

At OSE, Kevin is investigating transportation sustainability issues on campus and in Iowa City. He advocates for reducing car usage and instead using sustainable alternatives, such as cycling and mass transit.

5. Cassidy Beamer Cassidy is a fourth-year Environmental Policy and Planning student with a minor in Geography and a Certificate in Sustainability. She is passionate about sustainability because she believes in “a brighter future for this planet.” According to Cassidy, “humans have the resources and the scientific understanding needed to significantly reduce emissions to create better living conditions for all people,” and she is “dedicated to being a part of this process.” At OSE, Cassidy is conducting the Real Food Project, which is focused on collecting information on the dining system at the UI, assessing the environmental impact of the sourced food, and where sustainability can be implemented.

Learn more about Kevin’s work 3. Zöe Hamstreet Zöe will be graduating with an Economic BBA and minors in Spanish and Environmental Policy and Planning in May 2021.

After graduating, she is planning on attending the law school at the University of Florida in Fall 2021 to study land use law. As a business student, she recognizes the large impact businesses can have on our environment and searches for opportunities to encourage peers to consider ways to implement environmental sustainability in their future careers. She aims to “break down the barriers to sustainability and help people realize that small changes are still changes.”

Learn more about Zöe’s work.

Learn more about Cassidy’s work.

6. Hallie Lartius Hallie is graduating in May 2021 with a BA in Global Health Studies and minors in Economics and French. She considers sustainability important because “it is linked to so many other issues that we need to solve in our time, from income inequality to racial discrimination.”

At OSE, Hallie focuses on DEI initiatives, such as the creation of the DEI Action Plan and collaboration with the Pride House’s QT Closet.

Her main project is the Underrepresented Students in Sustainability Program, which is designed to make funding and mentoring opportunities more accessible to undergraduates from minority or disadvantaged backgrounds exploring careers in sustainability and the environment.

Learn more about Hallie’s work.

7. Joseph Haggerty Joseph is a third-year International Relations and Environmental Policy and Planning major. He believes that “advocacy and action pertaining to sustainability are vital towards the remediation of impacts which have already occurred and to preventing more damage to our environment.” Joseph has been working on various initiatives with campus partners to connect student concerns with UI administration. His main initiatives have centered on creating a sustainabilitygeneral education requirement, divesting UI dollars from funding fossil fuels, providing student organizationswith trainings and funding for their sustainability projects, and ingraining DEI in all aspects of sustainability education.

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Learn more about Joseph’s work.

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8. Aluna-Aro Olaniyi Aluna-Aro is a third-year Environmental Sciences major with an Environmental Policy and Planning minor and a Certificate of Sustainability. Sustainability is important to Aluna-Aro because “it is a framework as well as a philosophy that can steer us in the direction to fix a lot of economic, social, and environmental disparities in this world.”

At OSE, she is developing an ICON sustainability course that will be accessible to students, faculty, and staff to learn about sustainability in a practical way. The modules will include general academic definitions of sustainability and then apply those teachings to Iowa City and the University of Iowa.

Learn more about Aluna-Aro’s work.

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9. Siau-Tong Ding Tong is a third-year student majoring in Environmental Policy and Planning and Anthropology with a minor in Geography. She considers sustainability important because “if our modern world continues to operate in sustainable ways our societies will likely experience a “collapse” like in ancient times. The scale of damage modern societies are inflicting on our planet is much larger and could lead to a potentially more catastrophic “collapse” of political, economic, and social systems than any case study in history” According to Tong, “we need to move toward a more sustainable lifeway so that our home, our earth can continue to be livable to all life on the planet.”

Learn more about Tong’s work.

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10. Julia Krist Julia is a fourth-year student majoring in Environmental Engineering and earning a Certificate in Sustainability . She believes that “sustainability is important because it makes us think about the impact of our actions.” In her view, “sustainability requires reflection and rethinking how society works and who it is designed to benefit and then working to change to make it more equitable.” At OSE, Julia is a Project Lead Intern. She is also one of the co-creators and directors of Underrepresented Students in Sustainability (USS).

Learn more about Julia’s work.

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Lauren Williams Lauren is a senior Environmental Policy and Planning major graduating in Spring 2021. After graduation, Lauren will pursue a master’s in public administration at UNC Chapel Hill with the ultimate goal of becoming involved in city planning and management. She is interested in implementing climate action plans and boosting severe weather resilience. Lauren is the food waste reduction intern at OSE. In the position, she is working to organize and help conduct food waste audits for the University of Iowa dining program. After the audits are collected, Lauren analyzes the data to assess how to further integrate sustainability into the dining system.

11. Megan Lenss Megan is a fourth-year student studying Geoscience. She considers sustainability important because “it is a way to give back to our community and protect the future generations who will call this planet home.” Her main focus at the Office of Sustainability is with the Ashton Research Prairie (ARP). She views this work as immensely important because “conservation and restoration work is a very hands on way to experience sustainability and make a tangible positive impact on the community.” Her research is focused on analyzing soil health and establishing a baseline of soil quality for the Ashton Prairie.

Learn more about Megan’s work.

Read this article online

ICRU: ADVANCING FACULTY RESEARCH BY EXPANDING UNDERGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES Undergraduates have a strong awareness of the need for sustainable solutions to modern problems.

To prepare future researchers who will develop these solutions, the Iowa Center for Research

by Undergraduates (ICRU) and the Office for Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) have developed a collaborative partnership. The evolution of this partnership has been mutually beneficial, creating a network of cross-collaboration across CLAS disciplines and the university to support the work of student researchers and faculty.

The OSE initially teamed up with ICRU to help fund mentored undergraduate research projects from the sciences, arts, and humanities focused on sustainability. This has led to a broad spectrum of undergraduate projects being supported: studying watershed issues in Sanibel Captiva with Dr. Bradley Cramer (Earth and Environmental Sciences); surveying attitudes toward deer population control with Dr. Scott Schnell (Anthropology); developing a crowdsourced weather map of Iowa with Dr. Barbara Eckstein (English); observing local bird populations with Dr. Heather Sander (Geographical Sciences); and reviewing environmental policy-making with Dr. Frederick Boehmke (Political Science).

Active cross-talk and support built naturally over the course of years. OSE’s Program Manager Blake Rupe gave the keynote address at ICRU’s undergraduate research conference and ICRU’s First Year Seminar students learned about sustainability research on campus from OSE staff. Both units actively refer students to each other’s programs and, in doing so, increase the awareness for CLAS students and expand their opportunities. Both groups worked with the UI Student Government and Office of the Vice President for Research to create a Fall in Love with Research campaign. When research at home became a greater priority this summer, OSE helped to support undergraduate researchers who decided to stay in Iowa City.

Today, ICRU and the OSE actively engage in weekly discussions with campus partners. They have focused on outreach and engagement, environmental justice, and broadening student participation in authentic learning experiences, especially for underserved and underrepresented student populations.

Collaborators now include the Office of Outreach and Engagement, the Public Policy Center, the LSAMP and IBA programs, with a focus on expanding the reach of all programs through partnerships. This coming summer, OSE and ICRU will offer support for mentored team-based undergraduate researchers tackling environmental justice issues. Look for this new program and others from the collaborative efforts of OSE and ICRU. Read this article online

Melinda Licht Program Coordinator Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates

Bob Kirby Director Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates

Stratis Giannakouros Director Office of Sustainability and the Environment

Sponsored by ICRU, undergraduate Elizabeth Occhi works on a project with Professor Jessica Meyer of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

More about ICRU The Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU) is a unit of the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research. ICRU promotes undergraduate involvement in research and creative projects at the UI by facilitating the mentorship of students in research/creative work and providing platforms for students to explore research communication.

The talented ICRU team members work with students, faculty, and staff from all UI areas: the arts, humanities, natural/physical sciences, social sciences, health and medicine, engineering, and business.

To learn how ICRU can help advance your research and expand students’ educational opportunities, contact them by email or by phone at 319.335-8336.

MEET THE RESEARCHER: LORI ADAMS What is the focus of your work?

The primary focus of my work is to support undergraduate student success, particularly for students associated with a STEM major. The features of student success which are the focus of a lot of the work I do, are: confidence in navigating a chosen career path and an understanding of what it means to be a good mentor and how to be mentored. The opportunity to do undergraduate research is what I consider a “transformative” career discernment experience and I aim to reduce barriers for students taking part in research. In that regard, I direct several programs dedicated to increasing access to undergraduate research opportunities in STEM: the Iowa Biosciences Academy, Science Alliance, and UI LSAMP programs. I am also passionate about science communication and community engagement.

I recognized early on that students have unique perspectives on how to engage with the community about their love of science but lack formal structures to do so. Thus, the Latham Science Engagement Initiative was developed (with much credit to my colleague Brinda Shetty), which supports students as they create a strategic plan to take their research out of the lab and into the community.

Tell us about the broad impact it has/could have.

When I consider the impact of the work I do, I reflect on my own experience growing up in rural Illinois graduating with a class of 34 students and then attending a large Research I institution.

My dorm was the same size as my entire town!

My entrée into research was serendipitous as I was looking for a part-time job and landed in a laboratory washing glassware. I quickly became curious about what was in the microscopes and found myself doing undergraduate research for

the rest of my undergraduate career. I then applied to graduate school and began the next phase of my career studying plant molecular biology. I have not forgotten the impact that doing undergraduate research had on my sense of belonging, persistence through my major, and my socialization into the world of academic research. Students face a number of challenges as they seek out and embark upon undergraduate research experiences. Transitioning from the classroom and integrating into the social structure of a research community can be especially overwhelming for those who may not be familiar with the culture of research, or feel intimidated or isolated.

I think sometimes we forget how strange academic institutions are. We work in such a rich place full of so many experts in so many areas. It is truly unlike other work environment. Helping students find their unique/creative talents and connect them to others on campus is simple and can make a huge difference to a student.

What excites you about the environment in CLAS?

Favorite things to do in Iowa City?

Curiosity is a powerful motivator but students don’t always know what they are curious about. That’s what college is about, right? What I love about the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the diversity of disciplines coexisting in one larger unit; recognizing that we provide a stronger liberal arts education for our students together than apart. Without hesitation I can say that the Latham Science Engagement Initiative would not be a success without the expertise from departments and programs like Rhetoric, Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Writing Center. Many of our Latham STEM majors double major or minor in Music, Spanish, Dance, and the projects they create are made better by the expertise they seek out from numerous faculty and staff in CLAS. I think the spirit and will to support the student success of CLAS majors is strong and the diverse perspectives and approaches each unit brings provides students with a robust liberal arts education.

I love walking around the city parks like Willow Creek and Terry Trueblood with various kids and dogs. I also am a fan of Big Grove and catching a Friday night concert on the Ped-mall.

What are your hobbies and pursuits outside of work?

I have three kids (one in junior high and two in elementary school) so a large portion of my time outside of work is with them! I do enjoy some solitude gardening, playing piano, and jogging every now and then with my two dogs. I also picked up breadmaking during Covid.

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Learn more about the Iowa Biosciences Academy, a program directed by Lori Adams and housed in Biology. Iowa Biosciences Academy IBA supports the academic and personal success of University of Iowa students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in the Biosciences.

IBA students have access to hands-on research opportunities that earn competitive wages, a faculty mentor, professional development workshops, career counseling, free tutoring (as needed), and a strong community of students,staff, and faculty who value diversity in the biosciences.

Lori Adams, PhD, associate professor of instruction in the Department of Biology, joined the University of Iowa faculty in 2010. She is program director of the Iowa Biosciences Academy (IBA) and the Latham Science Engagement Initiative, and teaches courses in science communication and honors seminars. As part of her work with IBA, she spearheaded the Iowa Mentoring Academy, and serves as a Master Facilitator for the National Research Mentoring Network at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Adams was named Distinguished Associate Professor of Instruction by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2018 and received the CLAS Outstanding Outreach and Public Engagement Award in 2016. In 2021, Dr. Adams was named the inaugural recipient of the Advancing Understanding in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Award by the Office of the Vice President for Research; was named Distinguished Associate Professor of Instruction by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2018; and in 2016 received the CLAS Outstanding Outreach and Public Engagement Award.

IOWA BIOSCIENCES ACADEMY: HELPIN UNDERGRADS FALL IN LOVE WITH RESE AND FIND THEIR COMMUNITY “The Iowa Biosciences Academy is essentially a community of smart, helpful, cool people, and being a part of the program was one of the most fun AND most useful parts of my entire undergraduate career.”

—Rikki Laser (BS Neuroscience ‘20) Testimonials like the one above are music to the ears of Dr. Lori Adams, associate professor of instruction in the University of Iowa Department of Biology and program director/co-principal investigator of the Iowa Biosciences Academy (IBA).

Rikki Laser’s academic success is proof not only of Laser’s hard work and intelligence, but also of the benefits of having an organized structure for exploring and conducting research as an undergraduate.

IBA, housed in Biology, offered Laser the opportunity to learn what it means to be a top-notch scientific researcher, and to actually conduct groundbreaking research with a renowned neuroscientist at the vanguard of the field. She worked with Mark Blumberg, F. Wendell Miller Professor and chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, studying the primary somatosensory cortex, or the part of the brain that processes touch.

Laser graduated with distinction in the neuroscience major from Iowa and is now a student in the Behavioral and Evolutionary Neuroscience area of the Psychology PhD program at Cornell University. In the spring of 2021, she was named a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship, a prestigious honor that provides Laser with three years of financial support for her doctoral education, including an annual stipend.

Adams said that Laser’s experience in IBA is exactly what the program shoots for—providing a sense of belonging as well as academic support.

“We work really hard to develop a small-group, community feeling,” Adams said. “We want the students to feel confident and say, ‘I’m a researcher, and I found my sense of community here.’”

Since its start in 1999 (Adams joined in 2011), with grant funding from the National Institutes of Health Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD), 157 students have completed the IBA program. At any given time, IBA has 18 students from a diverse set of majors ranging from College of Liberal Arts and Sciences disciplines such as physics, chemistry, psychology, neuroscience, human health and physiology, mathematics, environmental science, and biology to other UI programs such as nursing, public health, biomedical engineering, and chemical engineering. These students have disparate academic and career goals, but through IBA, they develop one thing in common: a passion for research and a supprtive community.

The program starts for the students with an introductory course developed and taught by Adams called “Ways of Knowing Science,” which helps them understand how research can fit into one’s goals and interests. Working one-on-one with career mentors, the students determine the faculty lab where they want to work, and if hired by the researcher, they begin a paid student job as an undergraduate research assistant. The students are paid for their work not through the researcher’s grant funding, but directly by IBA. In 2021, the funding for IBA shifted from its original NIH grant, as the IMSD program is being phased out and replaced by the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program. In addition, IBA receives generous and essential institutional financial support from a number of UI units, including CLAS, the Graduate College, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the Office of the Provost.

The goal of the NIH MARC program is to develop a diverse pool of undergraduates who complete their baccalaureate degree and transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs.

IBA is a safe investment for the NIH. A recent demographic five-year snapshot shows the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of IBA. Forty-two percent of IBA students identified as Hispanic or Latinx, 33% as White, 9% as African American or Black, 6% as Asian, 3% as Alaskan Native or American Indian, and 3% as two or more underrepresented racial minority (URM) groups. Among all participants, 67% are from a disadvantaged background (i.e., from two or more of the following categories: rural, Pell Grant-eligible, first-generation college student), and 10% report having a disability.

IBA benefits the university as well as the student researchers.

For instance, data show a positive impact on graduation rates of underrepresented UI students. In the past 15 years, 93% of IBA students

NG EARCH

completed BA or BS degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields. Among a comparison cohort of more than 4,000 UI students who were not involved in IBA, only 42% of URM students who started at Iowa in a STEM major received their BA or BS degree during the period examined. The time it took IBA participants to earn their degree was shorter as well. Time-to-degree for IBA participants was 4.18 years, compared to 4.35 years for URM students in the comparison cohort and 4.29 years for non-URM students in the cohort. In addition, the fact that students are paid by IBA has the effect of providing high-quality research assistants at no cost to their faculty research mentors.

The UI is also part of a related initiative called the UI Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (UI LSAMP) Program, which provides similar research opportunities (mentored research experience, professional development, and financial support) for underrepresented students who transfer from a community college to the UI with an interest in a future career in STEM. UI LSAMP—an alliance with Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, and other four-year and community colleges in Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska—serves students who transfer into the UI from community colleges. UI LSAMP’s campus director is Vincent Rodgers, professor of physics and anatomy, who until recently was also co-PI for IBA (Tori Forbes, associate professor of chemistry, replaced Rodgers as co-PI of IBA).

Adams, who was Rodgers’s co-campus director of UI LSAMPS before stepping aside from that position, has yet another key role in fostering undergraduate research: she is executive director of the Latham Science Engagement Fellowship Program, a project generously funded by Drs. Robert J. and Sue B. Latham of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Latham initiative focuses on recruiting high-achieving STEM students from across the UI and teaching them the art of communicating science to the public through innovative outreach and engagement programs. Laser was a Latham Fellow at Iowa.

Of course, when counting on excellent faculty and staff mentors to realize the goals of IBA, UI LSAMP, and other mentored-research programs, Adams and her colleagues (Brinda Shetty is associate director of IBA, UI LSAMP, and the Latham Fellowship Program) must ensure that UI faculty and staff researchers are skilled at working directly with students on their academic, career, and personal goals, and shepherding them toward success. Accordingly, IBA spearheaded the Iowa Mentoring Academy, which offers mentor training three times a year. The academy is now housed in the UI Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.

Adams, who is a Master Facilitator for the National Research Mentoring Network at the National Institutes

of Health, is the Iowa Mentoring Academy’s associate director.

Andrew Kitchen, associate professor of anthropology, completed the academy’s training, and recommended it for other faculty for whom mentoring is key to their work.

“Most of us are never formally taught how to mentor students or junior colleagues,” Kitchen said. “The assumption is that since you have been successful so far, you must know what good and bad mentoring looks like.

But that isn’t true. Because of this, we have only our personal experiences to build on, and that is far too little for me to address the diverse backgrounds and needs of my mentees. For this reason, I am constantly trying to improve my mentoring by picking up techniques and insights from others, so when I heard that this training was available, I jumped at the opportunity. Dr. Adams and her co-instructors are fantastic, and the workshop will change how you approach mentoring—for the better. When you are done with the training, mentoring won’t seem like an onerous task but will become a pleasant, forever ongoing part of your academic career.”

So the evidence is in: IBA, and its sister programs such as UI LSAMP, the Latham Science Engagement Fellowship Program, and the Iowa Mentoring Academy work as intended. They spark a passion for research by undergraduates, and foster rewarding relationships between faculty mentors and their mentees. As a result, groundbreaking science involving undergraduates is happening across campus, and students get a leg up in the competition for graduate school and jobs.

Perhaps most important, though, is the sense of community that Laser and Adams evoke. To Adams, it’s essential to IBA’s success, and she cherishes the relationships she’s built over the years with IBA students and alumni.

“I get to know students well. I get to watch students mature over four years, watch them develop as scientists,” Adams said. “At first, everyone is nervous, they’re not sure what they want to do, and then over the course of their time in IBA, they develop confidence. Every student is different, but at some point they all hit a barrier—and then they come out of it. I’ve seen it enough to know they will get past it, it’s going to be okay. And the IBA community is going to be there to help them.”

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CLAS ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF DISSERTATION WRITING FELLOWSHIPS AND MARCUS BACH FELLOWSHIPS The college’s highest honors for graduate students During the 2020-2021 academic year, more than 1,800 graduate students have called the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences their academic home. These scientists, artists, and humanists account for over 30% of all UI grad students.

Graduate Education Policy Committee, an elected faculty governance body chaired by Associate Dean Getz.

“It can be very difficult completing a dissertation or an MFA thesis,” said Getz. “Our Dissertation Writing Fellowships and the Marcus Bach Fellowships are a lifeline for recipients, providing income for a significant period of time so they can focus on their research rather than working jobs to make ends meet. The disciplinary diversity represented by the awardees is fantastic, and my colleagues and I cannot wait to see their scholarship develop into full-blown dissertations and theses. I wish them all the very best of luck.”

• Inga Popovaite (Sociology and Criminology) Dissertation title: “Gender, Status, and Emotion in Space Analog Environments”

The recipients represent the natural and mathematical sciences; humanities; arts; and social sciences, reflecting the diversity of graduate education in Led by Christine Getz, Associate Dean for Graduate CLAS. The fellows receive a monthly stipend totaling Education and Outreach and Engagement, CLAS works $13,750. The recipients’ home departments are closely with the UI Graduate College in supporting the required to contribute tuition and 50% of fee payments research, scholarship, and artistic production of the for the fellowship awardee. college’s master’s and doctoral students in some 30 disciplines.

The purpose of the program is to provide the precious gift of time to students to complete a PhD The college’s highest honors for graduate students are dissertation. In addition, the program improves the the CLAS Dissertation Writing Fellowship (DWF) and college’s degree-completion and time-to-degree rates. the Marcus Bach Fellowship for Graduate Students in the Humanities. CLAS is proud to announce the The following graduate researchers are the recipients of these awards.

2021 CLAS Dissertation Writing Fellows:

CLAS Dissertation Writing Fellowships, 2021 Twelve graduate students studying in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have been awarded the CLAS Dissertation Writing Fellowship for the award period running from May through December 2021.

The fellows’ applications were evaluated by the CLAS

• George Rozsa (American Studies) Dissertation title: “The Nevada Movement: A Model of Trans-Indigenous Antinuclear Solidarity at the End of the Cold War” • Sydney Skuodas (Biology) Dissertation title: “The ABCF gene family facilitates amyloid disaggregation” • Emily Waddle (Philosophy) Dissertation title: “‘And yet it moves’: The Physics, Metaphysics, and Phenomenology of Time’s Passage”

• Berkley Conner (Communication Studies) Dissertation title: “Guarding Gender, Race, and Nation: A Rhetorical History of Menstrual Containment” • Hadley Galbraith (French) Dissertation title: “Bigidi memory of survival: Performing the inheritance of resilience under slavery in text, film, and performance” • Xue He (Second Language Acquisition) Dissertation title: “Second Language Acquisition of Chinese Directional Complement Constructions under Usage-based Approaches” • Seungwon Kim (Geographical and Sustainability Sciences) Dissertation title: “Spatio-temporal dynamics of the evolution and spread of Influenza A/H1N1pdm09 virus” • Aiqi Liu (History) Dissertation title: “The Money Deluge: the Great Credit Expansion and state-society relations in Manchuria, 1904 to 1932” • Biao Ma (Mathematics) Dissertation title: “Analysis on geometric singularities” • Maddison McGann (English) Dissertation title: “Reading Ecologies: Narrative Froms and the Victorian Literary Imagination” • Daniel L Parr IV (Chemistry) Dissertation title: “Exploiting Mathematical Methods to Characterize Electrochemical Systems with Excursion into A Sensor for Diabetic Status”

Marcus Bach Fellowship for Graduate Students in the Humanities, 2021-2022 The Marcus Bach Fellowship for Graduate Students in the Humanities is awarded by CLAS to support the completion of an MFA project or doctoral dissertation. The fellowship’s goal is to foster intercultural communication and/or the understanding of diverse philosophies and religious perspectives.

The Marcus Bach Fellowships are made possible by a bequest from the estate of Dr. Marcus Bach. Dr. Bach received a doctorate from Iowa in 1942 in Speech and Dramatic Arts (now the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Theatre Arts).

CLAS awarded five Marcus Bach Fellowships for 2021-2022. Awardees are selected in consultation with the CLAS Graduate Education Policy Committee, and receive one semester of support—a stipend of $10,000, fringe benefits, a scholarship covering 2 semester hours of tuition, and 50% of mandatory fees.

The following graduate scholars are the 20212022 Marcus Bach Fellows: • Jeremy Lowenthal (English) Dissertation title: “Sound in Memoriam: Airing Trauma on the BBC Third Programme” • Emma Silverman (Theatre Arts) Dissertation title: “The Morality of Holocaust Tourism” • Jessica Dzielinski (Art and Art History) Dissertation title: “Lost & Found” • Garret Taylor Lewis (History) Dissertation title: “Ourselves and Others: Native Alliances, Nationhood, and Social Identity in the Northeastern Borderlands, 1689-1838” • Wenxin Li (Music) Dissertation title: “Dream Butterfly Dream” Read this article online

MEET THE

Student RESEARCHERS In each issue of the CLAS Research Resource newsletter, we feature a faculty member in Meet the Researcher (this issue features Lori Adams). For this special student research issue, we would like to introduce you to a few graduate and undergraduate students involved in faculty-mentored research.

ARIEL KERSHNER Ariel Kershner, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, earned a prestigious fellowship through the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) for her project on the effects of longterm knowledge about object categories on visual search. Her faculty mentor is Professor Andrew Hollingworth. The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution.

What is the focus of your work?

I do visual search research, focused on the intersection of attention and memory. During my time at UI, I began a new line of research investigating the biasing effect of recently viewed exemplars of a category on long-term memory and attention.

Essentially, I’m interested in how recent statistical experience with members of a category influences the type of visual attention template that people form for that category. I’m also working to elucidate the composition of the attentional template and how it is influenced by working memory and long-term memory. early on that students have unique perspectives on how to engage with the community about their love of science but lack formal structures to do so. Thus, the

Latham Science Engagement Initiative was developed (with much credit to my colleague Brinda Shetty), which supports students as they create a strategic plan to take their research out of the lab and into the community.

Tell us about the broad impact it has/ could have.

My research impacts our understanding of how visual search is conducted, for example searching for your keys in the morning. It also translates to high-stakes domains, like radiology and airport security. Specifically, my work on long-term category-specific biases indicates that radiologists may be biased by the type of tumors they have recently detected, causing them to miss other types of tumors. Similarly, airport security officers may be biased by the types of contraband items they’ve recently detected, subsequently missing different types of contraband

What do you love most about research?

My research philosophy comes from the saying “curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back”. I’m exceedingly curious about human behavior, which psychology explains through the nature of cognitive processes. These processes pervade our everyday lives, but we only become aware of them through research. Finding answers to how attention and memory work together to help us complete everyday visual search tasks satisfies my curiousity.

What do you like to do when you’re not busy with school?

When I’m not working, I like to read novels, play piano, and do jigsaw puzzles. I’m also a true crime fan and could spend an entire day watching true crime documentaries and cuddling with my cat.

Favorite things to do in IC?

I loved hanging out with friends at the Java House pre-pandemic.

Now, my pandemic-driven take-out addiction is helping me find the best fries in Iowa City.

Read about Ariel online

JOSHUA DOUCETTE Joshua Doucette is a third-year student working toward a bachelor of science degree in physics and mathematics, with a minor in computer science. He is a recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award from the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates. This award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in scholarly investigation, artistic creation, or performance by undergraduates at the UI.

Tell us about the broad impact it has/ could have.

The impact of this research is a particle physics-level description of how dark matter originates and behaves in the universe.

Understanding dark matter and dark energy will be one of the biggest revelations in mankind’s understanding of the universe ever. The technologies that could be developed using dark matter are numerous and plentiful; as with any scientific breakthrough.

Yet we still need to find the dark matter and understand it before we can worry about engineering and application.

What do you love most about conducting research with faculty mentors?

Every day my research has different unique problems to be solved that utilize many areas of my skillset, including mathematical problems, physical problems, and computational problems. I love conducting research because I get to learn something new every day in a very hands-on way. Since we are conducting pioneer research in the field, it never feels like the same job for more than a day or two. Due to the variety of problems to be solved from different fields, a good advisor who knows the right people is crucial. No one is more suited to help advanced undergraduates than Professor Usha Mallik. Professor Mallik is one of the greatest, if not the greatest human being on the planet. It is a pleasure to work with her and her expertise. She has been very instrumental in developing my interest in experimental physics and I find working with her to be the best part about the research I conduct. She pushes me to go above and beyond, but provides the support to make the impossible happen.

What do you like to do when you’re not busy with school?

What is the focus of your faculty-mentored research?

The focus of my research with Professor Usha Mallik is participating in the ATLAS group’s Dark Matter / Dark Energy Search; the data is taken at either the LHC or Brookhaven National Laboratory. This falls under the umbrella of the work done by the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN for short.

I play drums in a heavy metal band called Ironclad dissidence.

I also play the guitar, piano, and many other instruments; as well as make beats on my laptop. I am obsessed with music theory and write chord progressions and melodies for fun with my friends. I recently have been creating small electronic hardware projects, like amplifiers and guitar pedals; to advance my electronics and audio engineering knowledge. If I am not writing music or building something, then I usually am writing software for small projects that my friends and I work on, including: video games, procedural music generation, music tools, web scaping, advanced calculators, etc.

Favorite things to do in IC?

My favorite thing to do in Iowa City is to go to Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and get frozen custard. (NOT PAID ADVERTISEMENT, IT’S JUST THAT GOOD). Iowa City is such a beautiful place that its very relaxing to walk around, meet people, and take a break from the physics.

Read about Joshua online

language development in pre-lingually deaf adolescent CI users.

With the endless opportunities of the unique research study, I am excited to initiate an interdisciplinary study combining aspects of psycholinguistics, audiology, speech perception, and reading.

Tell us about the broad impact it has/ could have.

The desire of our research is to advance the knowledge that audiologists and speech-language pathologists share with their patients on how cochlear implant users process language in two modalities. The combined focus on written input demonstrates a significant area of language that will expand benefits beyond the medical field to educators in school systems that instruct adolescents with cochlear implants.

What do you love most about conducting research with faculty mentors?

An experience of my research that has deepened my passion for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is the development process of collaborating with my faculty mentors, Dr. Bob McMurray and Dr. Elizabeth Walker, and PhD student Charlotte Jeppsen. Their expertise has helped me become more curious and open-minded, as well as build a repertoire for nurturing connections with professionals in my filed. Their involvement in my journey toward choosing a career path and completing my honors thesis will substantially prepare me for professional collaboration in the future.

EVITA WOOLSEY Evita Woolsey is a third-year student working toward a bachelor of arts degree in Speech and Hearing Science, with an American Sign Language minor. She is a recipient of the of the 2021 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award from the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates. This award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in scholarly investigation, artistic creation, or performance by undergraduates at the UI.

What is the focus of your facultymentored research?

My faculty-mentored research involves using an eye-tracking technique to examine the time-course of spoken and written word recognition processes with lexical competitors in adolescents who are pre-lingually deaf and use cochlear implants. The aim of our project is to uncover the mechanisms that may underly delays with reading and spoken language comprehension in a population with degraded auditory input. The results will provide implications for how word recognition influences reading and

What do you like to do when you’re not busy with school?

When I’m not busy with school, I enjoy receiving fresh air by spending time outdoors with my friends. My extroverted side is always up for an adventure to travel somewhere new, from hiking a National State Park to discovering the hidden gems of wellknown cities. Although, my introverted side loves sitting down to read a good book and sip on some tea.

Favorite things to do in IC?

Explore new hiking trails, support local restaurants, and meet up with friends at my favorite coffee shops.

Read about Evita online

Tell us about the broad impact it has/could have.

In many industries, automation is on the rise. Robots lend themselves to many automated applications and we want to ensure that students graduating from Iowa have the tools necessary to succeed in whatever field they find themselves in. We also seek to streamline processes through robotics and automation for more efficient innovation and production.

What do you love most about conducting research with faculty mentors?

ANVAY PRADHAN Anvay Pradhan is a third-year student working on a BA in computer science and a BS in mechanical engineering, with a mathematics minor. He is President, UI Hyperloop; Copresident, UI Robotics Club; Vice President, UI American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Research Assistant in the Controls, Automation, and Robotics Lab; and Teaching Assistant in Modern Robotics and Automation. He is a recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award from the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates. This award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in scholarly investigation, artistic creation, or performance by undergraduates at the UI.

What is the focus of your faculty-mentored research?

I conduct research in the mechanical engineering department under Dr. Phil Deierling. We work on applications related to robotics, everything from setting up and programming robots to creating vision systems and doing machine learning for industrial robots. A big focus of our lab is creating tools for students in our department to learn robotics.

Research gives me the ability to branch out beyond my coursework. There’s so much to learn and so many people to learn from. Mentors are the core of that. I’ve learned a lot from interacting with my mentors. These people are some of the smartest people I’ve ever met. They have vast knowledge and expertise, and research gives me the opportunity to learn from them.

I can ask them questions and engage in the practical component of my education.

What do you like to do when you’re not busy with school?

Beyond classwork and research, I’m very involved in student orgs like UI Robotics, UI Hyperloop, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Outside of the university, I enjoy listening to music, watching tv shows/movies, and cooking.

I like going on drives and exploring nature. I also am a big proponent of chocolate milk.

Favorite things to do in IC?

Iowa City is great in that it’s more than just a college town. It gives me the opportunity to interact with other college students, but also families and people not associated with the university. It gives me a chance to explore the city while also having places to get out of the city without going too far. I like finding new restaurants and grocery stores here and trying new foods. Especially during summers, I enjoy going to campus and downtown where people are out and doing things.

Read about Anvay online

Tell us about the broad impact it has/could have.

Experimentalists often benefit from simulations describing detail which experiment cannot yet access.

However, experimentalists work on average with systems many times larger and more complex than what can be accurately simulated on a computer.

Due to their accuracy relative to lower-order methods, wavefunction-based methods are often used for these simulations. By improving efficiency in wavefunctionbased algorithms via machine learning, we can help contribute to more robust explanations for experimentalists.

What do you love most about conducting research with faculty mentors?

LAURA WEILER

Laura Weiler is a third-year student working toward a bachelor of arts degree in physics and bachelor of science degree in computer science, with a minor in philosophy. She is a recipient of the of the 2021 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award from the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates.

This award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in scholarly investigation, artistic creation, or performance by undergraduates at the UI.

What is the focus of your faculty-mentored research?

The focus of my faculty-mentored research is the exploration of what machine learning can do for wavefunction-based methods in quantum chemistry.

Simulating real systems is a big task, and there’s a lot of interest to see how machine learning can push the boundaries of what’s currently possible given resource constraints.

What I love most about conducting research with my faculty mentor, Dr. James Shepherd, is that I get to be a part of a community through his research group.

Both Dr. Shepherd’s group, and the greater electronicstructure theory community have provided support and encouragement that has been invaluable to my academic career. I think this sense of community is really essential for students.

What do you like to do when you’re not busy with school?

My favorite thing to do when I’m not busy with school is to cook for my friends. The reality is that I’m usually busy with school!

Favorite things to do in IC?

Some of my favorite things to do in Iowa City are going to see movies at Film Scene and taking walks by the river or at Hickory Hill Park.

Read about Laura online

GUOWEI QI RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS CHURCHILL SCHOLARSHIP By mathematically modeling the underlying chemistry of proteins, Qi finds ways to efficiently observe the structure and function of biomolecules.

“In the past, most biochemistry and pharmacology research was conducted using purely wet lab experimental methods such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, or electron microscopy,” says Schnieders. “We’ve reached a point where complementary computational methods are helping us do more, faster.”

Qi says he was drawn to Iowa because of research opportunities for undergraduates in the biomedical sciences.

Qi, a fourth-year student, will study for a year at the University of Cambridge By: Kelly Thornburg | 2021.04.08 Guowei Qi, a fourth-year student from West Des Moines, Iowa, has been named one of 17 Churchill scholars in the nation.

Qi will graduate in May with degrees in biochemistry, computer science, and mathematics and is the fifth University of Iowa student to receive the fellowship.

The award wouldn’t have been possible, Qi says, without mentors like Michael Schnieders, associate professor of biochemistry and biomedical engineering.

As part of Schnieders’ research group in the College of Engineering, Qi uses theoretical biophysics and computer algorithms to represent the interactions of water molecules and simulate the folding of proteins.

Protein folding is a cellular process during which proteins are correctly folded into specific, threedimensional shapes in order to function correctly.

If proteins remain unfolded or are misfolded, they contribute to the pathology of many diseases.

Kris DeMali, professor and departmental executive officer of biochemistry in the Carver College of Medicine, says she was thrilled to hear of Qi’s award.

“As a department, we prioritize the development of undergraduates because it fosters careers in scientific research and helps them clarify their goals while they develop critical thinking and technical abilities and hone their communication skills,” says DeMali.

Schnieders offered his own perspective on Qi’s success, touting his communication and drive.

“Conducting collaborative computational research requires a lot of active communication and selfdirection,” Schnieders says. “Guowei’s comfort with both strengthened the work of his graduate student mentors Mallory Tollefson and Rae Corrigan, as well as his own projects.”

As a 2019 Goldwater Scholar and recipient of early funding through the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU), Qi is a strong advocate for expanding access and support for these kinds of critical training experiences.

“Working with Mike and his group has really shaped what I’ve done at Iowa as well as what I will do next,”

University of Iowa Churchill Scholars 2021: Guowei Qi, biochemistry, computer science, and mathematics 2012: Suzanne Carter Squires, mathematics and physics 2012: Colorado Reed, applied physics 2010: Maria Drout, astronomy and physics 2007: James Ankrum, biomedical engineering

says Qi. “He has never hesitated to help me connect with new questions on campus and off. Everyone deserves the kind of mentorship I’ve experienced at Iowa.”

“My focus is computational biophysics and at Cambridge, I’ll be working with Professor David Wales, one of the world’s leading researchers in the area to explore the functions and malfunctions of proteins using computational analysis,” Qi says.

Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for undergraduate education and the dean of University College agrees with Qi.

Qi says he is excited to study at Cambridge and that the scholarship application process required him “to think more about myself than I ever have in my life.”

“Our faculty and staff offer students a chance to practice scientific and technical skills inside of relationships, to know that there will be both challenge and support available to them if they are willing to go after big opportunities,” Uden-Holman says.

“After 20 drafts, when I finally hit submit, I really understood why I want to conduct computational biophysics research,” Qi says.

“Being able to so as a Churchill scholar is an incredible honor.”

Qi will continue his work in the University of Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry while completing a 12-month research-focused degree.

The Churchill Scholarship was established in 1963 by Sir Winston Churchill to help strengthen the scientific and technological partnership between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The award covers the cost for one year of study at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge, including full tuition, a stipend, travel costs, and the chance to apply for a $2,000 research grant.

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MEET MATH MAJOR AND GOLDWATER SCHOLAR NYAH DAVIS (CLASS OF 2022) Nyah Davis, a mathematics major from Des Moines, has been named one of two University of Iowa undergraduates to win the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, along with biomedical engineering major Jack Lynn. Davis’s algebra research focuses on the representation theory of quivers, or directed graphs.

Davis says one of the reasons she came to Iowa was because it has one of the most racial-, ethnic-, and gender-diverse graduate programs in the country. While that diversity is less evident in the undergraduate program, Davis is actively working to change that by taking leadership roles in student organizations and talking with faculty about translating aspects of the graduate program to the undergraduate curriculum.

She says she also chose Iowa because of the opportunity it presented.

“I did come in as a declared math major, but I’ve been able to take classes in chemistry, art, literature, political science,” she says. “I don’t think I would have had that same chance to explore all my different interests at a STEM-heavy institution.”

What excites Davis about math is figuring out how its different pieces fit together.

“Many of my classes have been focused on one specific area of math. Then from side projects or work with graduate students and professors outside of classes, I started to see all the connections and how the different areas all fit together,” she says. “And it’s so cool. It feels more complex and also more approachable at the same time.”

Her faculty mentor, Ryan Kinser, associate professor of mathematics, supervises her research and helped her with the application process. He says her drive to explore other interests sets her apart from her peers.

“Nyah has also developed talents in several other areas besides mathematics while at Iowa, for example chemistry and drawing,” he says. “This passion to explore different paths will ultimately make her a more creative, well-rounded, and impactful researcher.”

Davis says Kinser is a very approachable and supportive professor.

“It is really cool to have a professor be actively invested in my success,” she says. “He takes the time. He doesn’t just give me a book or a research paper and say, ‘OK, go figure it out.’ He wants to talk about it. He has helped me practice articulating my thought process, which was a skill I needed to develop.”

Davis also sees her experience as a helpful example for other Black students. She is the only Black student in the majority of her math classes, nor is there a Black female professor in the department. But she is in the vanguard of change.

“That doesn’t mean that I couldn’t do it just because I couldn’t see it done,” Davis says. “Don’t let the lack of role models prevent you from pursuing what you are passionate about.”

—Excerpted from an article in Iowa Now.

The Goldwater Scholarship, established

by Congress in 1986 in honor of U.S. Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, fosters and encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering.

The Goldwater is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Learn more about applying for national fellowships.

FIVE CLAS FACULTY, STAFF GIVEN OVPR, ICRU AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND MENTORING Neiman, Stewart, Howard, Adams, Bounds receive honors from the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates The University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research has named the following College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty and staff members as recipients of university-wide awards recognizing excellence in research, scholarship, artistry, and mentoring.

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Maurine Neiman, University of Iowa Maurine Neiman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Departments of Biology and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, received the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU) Distinguished Mentor Awards. The award honors the work that mentors put in to make their students’ experiences successful.

Garrett Stewart Garrett Stewart, Ph.D., the James O. Freedman Professor of Letters in the Department of English, was given the Distinguished Achievement in Arts and Humanities Research Award. This award honors distinguished achievement in humanities scholarship and work in the creative, visual and performing arts

Ashley Howard, University of Iowa Ashley Howard, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Departments of History and African American Studies, was given the Faculty Communicating Ideas Award. This award recognizes excellence in communication about research and scholarship in the sciences and humanities and the study of creative, visual and performing arts to a general audience directly or via print and electronic media.

Lori Adams, University of Iowa Lori Adams, Ph.D., director of the Iowa Biosciences Academy Program and associate professor of instruction in the Department of Biology, received the inaugural Advancing Understanding in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Award.

The purpose of this award is to recognize research, scholarship, or creative expression conducted within the past three-year period that advances our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Scott Bounds, University of Iowa Scott Bounds, Ph.D., associate research scientist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was named a Distinguished Research Professional. The award recognizes staff members who performed exceptional service in support of research at the University of Iowa by conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing results, and performing operational duties associated with a laboratory or research program.

CRIMINOLOGY STUDENTS HELP WATERLOO COUNTY ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH AND P The research project was developed and conducted by students, and facilitated by Professor Karen Heimer and the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities.

approaches by police in Waterloo to citizens with mental-health concerns and developing recommendations to improve those responses based on best practices elsewhere.

Members of the team include Anjali Puranam, Aurora Palmillas, Cecelia Bonilla, Myah Rhodes, Kaitlin Abshire, Konstadina Spanoudakis, Antonio Woodard, Alexandra Skores, Omar Lopez, and Natalie Grodnitzky.

“It’s great because they all have different strengths and they all bring something different to the table, and so it’s been amazing,” Heimer said.

The students involved in the project

By Katie Ann McCarver When Professor Karen Heimer of the University of Iowa Department of Sociology and Criminology realized how the COVID-19 pandemic might limit the opportunities of her students in their senior year on campus, she began to search for what options she could provide for them to feel connected.

What she found was a partnership with the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC), a campus program that connects students, faculty and staff to communities across the state for sustainable enhancement projects. Together with the IISC, Heimer assembled a research team of undergraduate and graduate students whom she had taught in her courses. In addition, the team received support from the UI Public Policy Center, and all members are PPC student research fellows.

Composed of 10 criminology majors and minors, the team began its research in the fall — assessing current

A year later, on April 28, 2021, the team presented its findings to the UI Public Policy Center.

The presentation will also be shared next month with various Waterloo officials. “[They shared] research that does help local leaders and administrators think about policy or program or procedural changes, and — around a topic like policing and mental health — that’s a really quickly evolving story,” IISC Director Travis Kraus said. “Any kind of additional assistance is actually just going to be incredibly helpful at this point.”

Unlike most of the projects that IISC has completed statewide, this one was not simply requested by the Waterloo community, but created in close collaboration with city officials by the UI students on the team.

“This is an issue that needs to be handled, and that we feel like we have a good grasp on, that we can make better,” team member Myah Rhodes said with regard to why the team settled on mentalhealth reform as its research topic.

The first few months of research involved interviews with leaders in mental health and the sheriff and police departments in Waterloo to identify what issues existed around policing and mental health.

O AND BLACK HAWK POLICING

Team member Cecelia Bonilla emphasized that one of the most important aspects of this project is its timeliness, as it has taken place amid a general call for change in policing practices.

“I think that gives us an opportunity that most research projects don’t have, which is to be a part of real change in the real world currently,” Bonilla said. “And so, I think that choosing a specific area, and a specific community to look at and help, is the most significant piece of the project itself.”

The research team then used that information to create a survey for Waterloo police that would assess their knowledge of crisis Rhodes agreed, saying the project felt unique to her because it intervention, such as how to de-escalate situations concerning would really affect people’s lives. mental health, and determining what alternatives to arrest exist for officers who encounter someone with a chronic mental illness.

“I think that’s the kicker of it all,” Rhodes said. “We can do so much research, but I think the end is where we really have to sit “We’re very happy,” Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson down and really sit with ourselves and actually consider these said. “They’ve been nothing but professional. They’ve been very peoples’ everyday lives—make changes that are not just good on on top of their game, and all the feedback that I’ve gotten from paper, but that the police feel they can actually implement, and the community as well as from the folks that they’ve had the that they feel are safe enough.” opportunity to interact with [is positive]—we very much look forward to the product of their work.”

This research is also unique, Heimer said, because it’s meant to benefit the students and also the community of Waterloo.

Students involved in the project have had the opportunity to see She said one of her favorite aspects of the project has been some very inventive and creative ingenuity in Black Hawk County, seeing students realize how fun and interesting research can be, Thompson said, which they then measured against the methods especially when it’s as real and tangible as it is when they are of other law-enforcement entities. connecting with a community.

“We’ve given these undergraduate students a peek behind the curtain, so to speak, and so they’re seeing a little bit of programmatic and budgetary and functional response to a cutting-edge issue that doesn’t go away for law enforcement,” Thompson said. “It doesn’t go away for the criminal-justice system as a whole. This is one of those driving issues that’s pervasive across the nation.”

“I think a lot of people get into research just for the experience, but this for me is more than that,” team member Konstadina Spanoudakis said. “I think I’ve met incredible people in my group, and I think we’re doing something that’s really important and that’ll make a difference.”

Because most of the students involved in the research project specialized in different areas of study in addition to their Heimer said she really wanted the students to shape the project, criminology major or minor, Heimer said they all contributed with so she met with them just for a couple of hours each week to hear different skills. about their research plans, discuss the data and give advice on how to best analyze it.

“Professor Heimer says that we each have different superpowers, and so each of us working together is really great,” Bonilla said.

She said that, with the help of Major Joe Leibold at the Waterloo “All of our different majors and interests and previous knowledge Police Department, some students have also joined officers in coming together for one project that will give legitimate ride-alongs, toured the jail, or attended a typical crisis-intervention recommendations to the city of Waterloo, that will affect actual training to experience what they were researching firsthand. people’s lives and the community, is just kind of an insane process to think about.”

Thompson added that the students have had a more scientific approach to the research than the sheriff’s office or the Waterloo Read this article online Police Department, because they are not as immersed in it, so they have the opportunity to get the bigger picture.

“There’s a lot more work to be done,” Thompson said. “And this is just that next step in the battle.”

Karen Heimer

SUMMERTIME REUS, SROP EXPOSE UNDERGRADUATES TO INTENSIVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES At a major research institution like the University of Iowa, the discoveries never stop.

These are the NSF-funded REU sites at the University of Iowa for 2021:

Working with the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates—a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Research—and the Graduate College, the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides exceptional year-round opportunities for undergraduates interested in conducting facultymentored research.

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REU in Computing for Health and Well-being Our site is motivated by the considerable strain on the U.S. healthcare system due to short-term challenges, such as those posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, and long-term trends, such as an aging U.S. population. Computer scientists are in a unique position to help solve these and other problems in health and wellbeing. We can use big data to harness detailed, lifelong medical records to gain insights into how to improve the standard of care. Mobility information and other sensor data may be used to augment epidemiological models to forecast disease transmission nationally and at the hospital level. Hearing aids and cochlear implants may be personalized to empower patients and better meet their hearing needs. Web apps may engage neurodiverse children to help enhance their executive function through gameplay.

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REU in Microbiology | We hope that this experience will encourage students to pursue a career in basic science and give them the skills they need to succeed in that career path. The focus of the program is a hands-on research project conducted under the guidance of faculty and graduate student mentors. A range of research projects will be available, including basic mechanisms of bacterial and viral gene expression, virus structure and assembly, biofilm formation, microbial development, and prokaryotic cell biology. Students will also attend lectures to broaden their understanding of microbiology and educate them about graduate school and career options.

The National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program funds six intensive research camps for undergraduates, five of which include CLAS departments and faculty. In addition, the Graduate College offers the Summer Research Opportunities Program, pairing CLAS faculty from numerous disciplines with undergraduate students for mentored research.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program The National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation.

REUs can be great recruitment tools for faculty, their departments, CLAS, and the university. These programs draw in students who may not have otherwise noticed a university or department. ICRU is ready to support faculty and departments who wish to host REU programs.

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REU in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology The 2021 program will provide ten undergraduate students with research experience in cutting edge topics related to environmental and health aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

REU participants will have the opportunity to work with faculty mentors from the departments of • Chemistry, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Pharmacy.

REU in Interdisciplinary Geospatial Approaches to Watershed Science (I-GAWS) Participate in a transformative research experience: as students in environmental fields enter the workforce they will confront, at some scale, many of the “grand challenges” that face humankind, including: access to clean water, production of sufficient food, adaptation to change climate. Solutions to such problems require a willingness to embrace alternative and innovative approaches rooted in multiple disciplines, as well as an appreciation for diverse perspectives. Students participating in this REU will engage in research focused on the sustainable provision of clean water and food in a Midwest agricultural watershed. Students will use team-based approaches to build on this ongoing research to examine issues critical to societies across the nation.

REU in Interdisciplinary Evolutionary Sciences The focus of this REU is training in evolutionary science, with students working on research projects across several disciplines. Three academic departments at the University of Iowa—Biology, Anthropology, and Earth and Environmental Sciences—collaborate with the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History to offer research projects that span a range of topics, including evolution of behavior, origin of species, cancer evolution, evolution of sex, and paleontology. Study organisms span a large range

of taxa, and include: crocodiles, insects, snails, fungi, human cancer cells, frogs, and conodonts. Students work on one project, but through interactions with their cohort ultimately receive a broad exposure to evolutionary science.

REU in Computational Bioengineering The Computational Bioengineering Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates is a 10-week research experience. Students take part in an immersive research experience to learn the fundamental concepts of computational bioengineering and how to apply those concepts to solve challenging biomedical problems. Under the mentorship of an affiliated faculty member from the College of Engineering or Carver College of Medicine, students will work on their research project and showcase their work at the UI Summer Undergraduate Research Conference.

Summer Research Opportunities Program The Graduate College’s Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) is an award-winning eight-week immersion program designed to provide underrepresented undergraduate students with in-depth research experiences. SROP is a gateway to graduate education in a Big Ten Academic Alliance Initiative at the University of Iowa.

Students receive first-hand exposure to the graduate school experience at the University of Iowa and scholarly research by being paired with a faculty mentor whose work is closely related to their academic interests and career goals. Students will showcase their work at the UI Summer Undergraduate Research Conference, which is a culmination of their summer undergraduate research experiences.

See a list of faculty from across the UI who are available as SROP mentors--and add yourself to the list! Meet the student scholars from 2019.

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STUDENT RESEARCH HONOR ROLL, 2020-2021 This honor roll recognizes students at all levels in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who are recipients of selected awards and honors related to research during the 2020-21 academic year.

See a complete list, updated on a rolling basis Please send your notifications

Awards and Honors from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences See CLAS departmental awards CLAS Dissertation Writing Fellowship These competitive fellowships support the completion of PhD dissertations in any discipline.

Berkley Conner (Communication Studies PhD) Hadley Galbraith (French and Francophone World Studies PhD) Xue He (Second Language Acquisition PhD) Seungwon Kim (Geography PhD) Aiqi Liu (History PhD) Biao Ma (Mathematics PhD) Maddison McGann (English PhD) Daniel L Parr IV (Chemistry PhD) Inga Popovaite (Sociology PhD) George Rozsa (American Studies PhD) Sydney Skuodas (Integrated Biology PhD) Emily Waddle (Philosophy PhD) Marcus Bach Fellowship for Graduate Students in the Humanities The Bach Fellowship is awarded

by CLAS to support the completion of an MFA project or doctoral dissertation in the humanities.

The fellowship’s goal is to foster intercultural communication and/or the understanding of diverse philosophies and religious perspectives.

Jessica Dzielinski (Art MFA) Garret Taylor Lewis (History PhD) Wenxin Li (Music Composition PhD) Jeremy Lowenthal (English PhD) Emma Silverman (Playwriting MFA)

Awards and Honors from the Office of the Vice President for Research Excellence in Undergraduate Research Awards This award from the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates recognizes outstanding accomplishments in scholarly investigation, artistic creation, or performance by undergraduates at the UI. Joshua Doucette (Physics BS, Mathematics BS) Janiece Maddox (Art BFA) Anvay Pradhan (Mechanical Engineering BSE, Computer Science BA) Laura Weiler (Physics BA, Computer Science BS) Evita Woolsey (Speech and Hearing Science BA) Postdoctoral Research Scholar/Fellow Excellence Awards Honors postdoctoral research scholar and fellow research performance and scholarly activity that is recognized as highly original work and makes a significant contribution to the field.

Rachael Filwett (Postdoctoral, Physics and Astronomy) Graduate Research Excellence Award Honors students in terminal degree programs conducting research and scholarly activity that is recognized as highly original work and makes a significant contribution to the field.

Umar Iqbal (Computer Science PhD) Sara Reed (Applied Mathematical and Computational Sciences PhD)

Diann Rosza (American Studies PhD) Shrey Sanadhya (Mathematics PhD) E M Spencer (English PhD) Kyle Spielvogel (Chemistry PhD) Jun Tang (Statistics PhD) Rachel Torres (Political Science PhD) Soumya Venkitakrishnan (Speech Pathology and Audiology DAud; Speech and Hearing Science PhD) Krista Wahlstrom (Psychology PhD) Caolimeng Wuxiha (Second Language Acquisition PhD)

Awards and Honors from the Iowa Neuroscience Institute INI Summer Scholar Program Supports Iowa undergraduates planning to pursue research during the summer in the lab of an INI faculty member.

Daniel Fu (Biomedical Sciences BS) Arshaq Saleem (Neuroscience BS) Kartik Sivakumar (Neuroscience BS)

Awards and Honors from the DeLTA Center Interdisciplinary Research Grants Jina Kim (Speech and Hearing Science PhD) John Muegge (Psychology PhD) Morgan Parr (Clinical Psychology PhD)

Awards and Honors from the Graduate College

Awards and Honors from External Agencies and Organizations

Ballard and Seashore Dissertation Fellowship Mohammad Alhusseini (Physics PhD) Mohamed Imad Bakhira (Mathematics PhD) Melinda Brastrom (Integrated Biology PhD) Jose Aranda Cuevas (Mathematics PhD) Anindya Ghosh (Physics PhD) Elizabeth Handschy (Anthropology PhD) Kailey Harrell (Integrated Biology PhD) Danielle Hoskins (History PhD) Dagen Hughes (Chemistry PhD) Umar Iqbal (Computer Science PhD) Hansol Lee (Chemistry PhD) Liping Liu (Integrated Biology PhD) Javier Luna (Chemistry PhD)

American Meteorological Society, First Place, Oral Presentation

Brandon MacDougall (Geography PhD) Pake Melland (Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences PhD) Brice Merwine (Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences PhD) Hansini Munasinghe (Sociology PhD) Shreyas Pai (Computer Science PhD) Sara Reed (Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences PhD)

Meng Zhou (Geoinformatics PhD) American Psychological Association Dissertation Research Award Marcie King Johnson (Psychology Clinical Science PhD) CSAW Best Applied Research Paper Award, 3rd place Umar Iqbal (Computer Science PhD) National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GFRP) Guowei Qi (Computer Science BA, Mathematics BS, Biochemistry BS) Ariel Kershner (Psychology PhD) Fulbright Study/Research Awards Megan Lenss (Geoscience BS) Kathleen Maris Paltrineri (Literary Translation MFA) Brant Walker (Mathematics BS, Economics BS)