University of Iowa

A soon-to-be published study co-authored by Min Zhang, graduate student in informatics, finds that companies can find ideas for innovative new products in the consumer review sections on e-commerce websites like Amazon. The review sections are essentially free focus groups where consumers can leave ideas for new or improved products, says Weiguo Fan, professor of business analytics in the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business and study co-author. Finding those nuggets of consumer wisdom can be a challenge, though. Few companies have the resources to sift through thousands of comments across dozens of e-commerce sites, only a small number of which offer any kind of information that could be used for product innovation.

Brett Bahle, an alumnus of the University of Iowa's Psychology PhD program, has been recognized with the Spriestersbach Dissertation Award. Using visual search tasks in his thesis experiments, he found several factors were key in explaining how we focus our visual attention.

The Speculative Literature Foundation recently announced University of Iowa graduate student Tatiana Schlote-Bonne the winner of its 2020 Diverse Worlds Grant. Schlote-Bonne was honored for her work "The Afterlife Memoirs." She is a second year MFA candidate in the Nonfiction Writing Program inside Iowa's Department of English.

Doctoral student Serena (Banu) Gumusoglu recently received the prestigious Rex Montgomery Dissertation Prize, which recognizes the most meritorious dissertation by a University of Iowa doctoral student conducting research in prevention of disease and/or the translation of research into clinical practice. "It's nice to feel that the work is recognized at this level given the peers that I have," Gumusoglu says. "It's definitely representative of the program that nominated me-that I was able to perform at this level and do this work. The strength of the Neuroscience Program at the University of Iowa is what makes it such a destination program for people."

Cynthia Febrina Maharani, a University of Iowa College of Public Health doctoral student in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, has been awarded a 2020-21 International Doctoral Fellowship by the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

Two University of Iowa undergraduate research assistants in the Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) Lab of the Iowa Technology Institute leveraged data analysis skills learned at the University of Iowa to study emissions-related weather phenomenons while working for the Marine Meteorology Division of the Naval Research Lab (NRL) last summer.

As an athlete on the Iowa women's track and field team, Marissa Mueller has worked hard at remaining calm under pressure. She used those skills Saturday as she interviewed for the most prestigious opportunity of her college career. Mueller, who will graduate in May with a degree in biomedical engineering, is from Petrolia, Ontario, Canada, and was named one of that country's 11 Rhodes Scholars. She is the 22nd UI student to receive the honor, and the second female.

Eight University of Iowa students on the executive committee for the Food Pantry at Iowa have collaborated to guide the student-run organization through its most challenging -- and rewarding -- year since its introduction four years ago.

Students in the Carver College of Medicine Department of Physician Assistant Studies and Services are approaching commencement after a year that has required plenty of flexibility and adjustment. Student body president Amalia Leveille reflects on training during a pandemic and the major strengths of the nationally ranked program.

The COVID-19 pandemic has halted many longtime traditions this year. But the University of Iowa Department of Dance did not allow it stop the 39th edition of Dance Gala. Dance Gala maintained its high level of professionalism and artistry, but it with a slightly different viewing experience. Instead of watching at Hancher Auditorium or Space Place Theater, audiences tuned in online to watch more than 35 students bring to life works created by six Department of Dance faculty members.

Moala Keshei Bannavti has firsthand experience with PCBs in schools. "I grew up in a town with a lot of underrepresented minorities, and we were all from low-income families," she says. She and her classmates went to an old school with air that likely had high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), an invisible but common compound that she didn't realize can cause an array of health problems until she became a graduate student at the Iowa College of Engineering. "They can cause cancer, disrupt hormones, they're just horrible, and they're found in the air everywhere," she says. To help schools identify and inexpensively remove materials that cause PCBs from their older buildings, Keshei Bannavti is developing a targeted materials-remediation plan as a civil and environmental engineering doctoral student. The research captured first place in the Graduate College's annual Three Minute Thesis competition earlier this month. The 3MT competition helps graduate students learn how to articulate their often complex and complicated research to non-experts clearly and concisely in three minutes or less. That isn't always easy for grad students, most of whom have been taught to go into great depth and speak with a certain language that a non-academic, and sometimes even an academic from another field, may not understand.

A Hawkeye view from the highest coastal mountain in Brazil. A celebration of international LGBTQ+ students living in the Midwest. A leap for joy in the Highlands of Scotland. These moments were experienced and captured in photos by current and former University of Iowa students-including U.S. students who studied abroad, international students on campus, and alumni. They are among the winning images selected for the 2020 International Programs annual photo contest as part of International Education Week -- a way to inspire greater awareness of the many ways UI students can experience international education.

Six University of Iowa students who served in leadership positions helped guide the University of Iowa's Hawk The Vote effort to great success in its first year. The student-led initiative focused on voter education, registration, and turnout for the 2020 Iowa Caucuses, local elections, and the recent federal election.

Jocelyn Roof served as executive director and founder for the University of Iowa's Hawk the Vote, a student-led initiative that is part of a greater commitment the university has made to fostering the development of more thoughtful and engaged students. Hawk The Vote focused on voter education, registration, and turnout for the 2020 Iowa Caucuses, local elections, and the recent federal election.

Jacob Schillo received a warm welcome for his military service when he visited the University of Iowa. The fourth-year grad student in genetics has returned the gesture by creating programs to help student veterans succeed academically.

Growing up in rural, northwest Iowa, Gabe Conley's pathway as a first-generation student in medicine seem suniversally different from other classmates and colleagues.

Linette Leng, UI undergraduate student pursuing a BA with a double-major in Spanish and interdepartmental studies, isn't letting the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on her aspiration to gain relevant, global experience in the form of an international internship. Leng is currently completing a virtual internship at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Kody Waldstein has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Stephanie Peterson has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Mariam El-Hattab has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Megan Lindmark has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Moala Keshei Bannavti has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Ivy Debreceni has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Emily Wieder has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Megan Small has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Alyssa Mianecki has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Clarissa Shaw has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.

Dominique Badajoz was drawn to the University of Iowa by the prospect of learning more about her Native American heritage with the nearby Meskwaki community. She also found an academic track that is preparing her for a dream job at Apple.

Iowa undergraduate Keely Driscoll is passionate about learning about other cultures-and helping people better understand her own.

Runqing Qi has been named a finalist in the University of Iowa's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT competition is organized by Iowa's Graduate College and challenges graduate students to clearly and concisely articulate complex research to non-specialist audiences.