Picture yourself as Napoleon Bonaparte or sit for a photo of yourself with a Hawkeye background. Dissect a virtual cadaver. Learn how to participate in biomedical research and actually do so. It’s all part of the University of Iowa booth at this year’s Iowa State Fair.

The UI will share its excellent educational programs, remarkable research, and amazing athletics Thursday, Aug. 9 through Sunday, Aug. 19 in the William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.

Daily drawings for Hawkeye football tickets and other UI athletics events will be held. Various Hawkeye merchandise will be sold for fans of all ages, and there will be plenty of giveaways such as Hawkeye football posters and temporary Tiger Hawk tattoos. More than 100 UI faculty members, staff, students, alumni, and I-Club members will volunteer at the exhibit.

Standout former Hawkeye athletes and coaches will be available to meet fairgoers. Among those scheduled to appear are:

• Dan Gable (Aug. 18), Olympic wrestling champion and legendary Hawkeye wrestling coach who led his teams to 16 NCAA titles and 21 straight Big Ten championships.
• Tim Dwight (Aug. 14), a consensus All-American as a football wide receiver and return specialist who had a lengthy career in the NFL.
• Gary Barta (Aug. 17), UI athletic director.

A full schedule of alumni athletes will be announced before the fair.

Herky and the Iowa Spirit Squad will be at the booth to excite Hawkeye fans from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, Sunday, Aug. 12, and Friday, Aug. 17.

Visitors can learn about some of the programs and services at the UI at several exhibits at the UI booth. The UI Museum of Art will have a cutout of a famous painting of Napoleon as a prelude to a major exhibition scheduled later this year. The College of Public Health will offer a version of the “Iowa Portraits” that grace its new building, allowing visitors to have a photo taken with one of four themed backgrounds.

The Institute for Clinical and Translational Science will have a Rubber Duckie Pond for kids to fish in and for their parents to learn about how to sign up as participants in clinical research trials through ResearchMatch.org. Those who want to get involved in research right away can provide a saliva sample and have a photo taken by the Department of Pediatrics for inclusion in a new biorepository to study craniofacial disorders.

Other exhibits will provide information on how the UI is using biofuels to improve sustainability, health hazards to avoid on your summer picnics, and a variety of health-related topics including cancer, heart health, hearing, strong bones, and technology that can help people with physical, visual and learning disabilities.

Children will be able to participate in Department of Chemistry magic show, get a special bookmark and nametag from International Programs as well as tattoos and fans from UI students involved in Dance Marathon. A full listing of UI events and special appearances at the Iowa State Fair is available at www.uiowa.edu/statefair/exhibitors/schedule.html.

By venturing a short distance from the UI booth, you'll find the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) interactive display, also in the Varied Industries Building. IFC staff and students will be on hand to demonstrate the Iowa Flood Information System, an online application providing real-time information on stream levels, rainfall and additional flood-related resources for individuals and communities in Iowa. Visitors can also learn about additional IFC research and projects that support Iowa's efforts to better monitor and prepare for flooding.

The Iowa Flood Center is part of IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, a unit of the UI's College of Engineering. The IFC was created in 2009 in the aftermath of the historic 2008 Iowa floods and works to improve flood monitoring and prevention in Iowa.