There is a unique power contained in a room where a woman is giving birth. There is power in the women surrounding her. It's a time of transformation, an alchemy unlike any other. No wonder, in so many places in the world, that power would be regarded as suspicious. Midwives and witches — they've always had a lot in common.

Just as it has for decades, Halloween remains synonymous with witches. But what’s the history behind the plastic cauldrons and pointy hats? University of Iowa German professor Waltraud Maierhofer is an expert on how the history of witchcraft trials in Europe and the United States continues to haunt the modern world. She not only teaches a class on witch trials, but recently translated a noteworthy book on the witchcraft trials of children.

The Roman Empire may have peaked about 2,000 years ago, but many men can’t stop thinking about it—at least according to a recent TikTok trend that has generated more than 1.6 billion views. Sarah Bond, the Erling B. “Jack” Holtsmark Associate Professor of Classics at Iowa who also is a renowned historian of the ancient world, says she welcomes the attention with a few caveats.

Allison Jaynes, professor of physics and astronomy, was selected to receive the AGU James B. Macelwane Medal, which is given annually to early career scientists in recognition of their significant contributions to Earth and space science. AGU, the world's largest Earth and space science association, annually recognizes a select number of individuals for its highest honors.

Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy David Miles has been named Principal Investigator of the Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) Mission following the death of Craig Kletzing in August. In 2019, a team led by Kletzing won a $115 million contract from NASA for TRACERS, the single largest externally funded research project in University of Iowa history.

University of Iowa researchers have learned that how efficiently people recognize spoken words depends as much on the mind’s working as on hearing. In a new study, the researchers examined how well adults across the life span process spoken language.

Anita Jung, a UI art professor, has received grants involving natural dyes and the editing of video interviews conducted with printmakers in India.

Perhaps no Korean dish represents the value of honey more than the ancient dessert yakgwa, a deep-fried honey cookie soaked in syrup. Yakgwa (“yak” means medicine and “gwa” means confection) is more than a vessel for coveted sweetness. It connects generations and tells the story of Korea’s reverence for tradition and optimism for the future.

The term “liberal arts” is one of the most misunderstood terms in the public discourse on higher education today. A higher education expert once said that putting the words “liberal” and “arts” together was a “branding disaster” – one so toxic that it was undermining public support for higher education. To break down the meaning and origin of the term, The Conversation reached out to Blaine Greteman, a professor of English, who looks at how the term emerged in ancient times.

University of Iowa professor has been named a fellow at the Institute of Mathematical Statistics.

The UI Department of Mathematics helped launch the Math Alliance, which has had an incredible impact expanding access to doctorate degrees to people of color across the country, including 50 minority graduates from Iowa.

The University of Iowa improved its national ranking in undergraduate nursing programs to No. 4 and is tied for No. 1 among public universities, while also remaining the best public writing program in the country, according to the latest rankings published by U.S. News & World Report.