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Thursday, April 2, 2015
Written by: Casey Westlake

WHAT: The University of Iowa Mobile Museum, which updated it exhibits over the winter, will launch its second season with a visit to Lucas Elementary School in Iowa City.

WHERE: Lucas Elementary School, 830 Southlawn Dr., Iowa City.

WHEN:  10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 7

WHO: Students, teachers, and staff will have an opportunity to be among the first to tour the revamped Mobile Museum. UI faculty and staff affiliated with the Mobile Museum and the 2015 exhibits will be available for interviews, including:

  • John Doershuk, state archaeologist and director of the Office of the State Archaeologist
  • Trina Roberts, interim director, Pentacrest Museums
  • Greg Prickman, head of Special Collections and University Archives, UI Libraries
  • Karen Mason, curator of the Iowa Women’s Archives, UI Libraries
  • Greg Howes, associate professor of physics and astronomy
  • Richard Langel, geologist, Iowa Geological Survey
  • Peter Weyer, associate director, Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination

WHY: The Mobile Museum launched in 2014 as a partnership between the UI Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and several of its reporting units, including the Office of the State Archaeologist, the UI Museum of Natural History, and the Old Capitol Museum, with the mission of bringing exhibits with cutting-edge research, one-of-a-kind artifacts, and interactive digital media to Iowa’s communities statewide. 

The Mobile Museum will unveil its new exhibits for the 2015 season:

  • Water Underground: The Science of Iowa’s Most Essential Resource introduces the chemistry of water, Iowa’s bedrock aquifer systems, and arsenic pollution in drinking water. It highlights contributions and research from the Department of Chemistry/Water Sustainability Initiative, Iowa Geological Survey, and the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination.
  • Hawkeyes in Space: Space Exploration at the University of Iowa highlights the UI Department of Physics and Astronomy's contributions to space exploration since the 1950s, highlighting three major events in that history: Explorer 1 in 1958, Voyager 1 in 1977, and the launch of the Van Allen probes in 2013.
  • Over Here From Over There: Iowans in World War II tells the story of Iowans in World War II and shares the lives and contributions of Iowans through letters, diaries, photographs, and artifacts from UI Libraries Special Collections and University Archives.
  • Digital touch screens feature exhibits on research and creative activity in a variety of UI departments.

During its first year, the Mobile Museum visited 48 Iowa communities across 36 counties, seeing 33,433 visitors.

The Mobile Museum will host an on-campus launch event from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Monday, April 13, at the Main Library. Plans for this year’s travels include the National Fossil Expo in West Branch on April 10 and 11,  the Altoona Public Library on June 6,  all overnight stops along the RAGBRAI route, the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, and the Clay County Fair in Spencer. To learn more about the Mobile Museum and its upcoming travels, visit discover.research.uiowa.edu.

VIDEO: Video footage (sound bites and B-roll) of the event at Lucas Elementary will be available for television stations by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at focus.media.uiowa.edu/shares/mediadrop

PHOTOS: Interior and exterior photos of the Mobile Museum will be available by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at www.flickr.com/photos/uinews