UI political scientist Tim Hagle assesses the impact of the "Obama factor," on politicians running for public office in 2012.

UI religious studies professor Ahmed Souaiaia writes about Obama's attempts to communicate directly with the Iranian people.

Actress Tanna Frederick, a University of Iowa theater alumna, hopes to revitalize the Iowa film industry. The first project recently held auditions at the UI.

Actuaries are expected to be in demand in coming years. But what do actuaries do? Beyond something that involves math and insurance, explanations always seem mysterious and bizarre, something that only other practitioners of actuarial science can really understand.

Social workers are invited to share hopes, dreams, fears, concerns, and experiences in first annual National Poetry Contest.

Five faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have been honored for their excellence in teaching and scholarship or creative work.

The life and legacy of Bill Sacker will be celebrated on what would have been his 99th birthday Friday, April 13.

David Perlmutter, director of the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication, writes that service is a good deed that gets punished for many junior faculty.

Jennifer duBois, an alumna of the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, will read from her debut novel, A Partial History of Lost Causes, at 7 p.m. Monday, April 9, at Prairie Lights bookstore and on the Internet at www.writinguniversity.org.

Judith Linhares, a visiting artist in the painting and drawing area of the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History, will present a free lecture at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in Room 116 of Art Building West.

Jennifer duBois, an alumna of the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, will read from her novel A Partial History of Lost Causes at 7 p.m. Monday, April 9, in Prairie Lights Books and at www.writinguniversity.org.

Every theatre production has light, but have you ever stopped to think about how it got there? We went behind the scenes of Big Love, the Department of Theatre Arts' current Mainstage production, to take a look at the process.