This week the University of Iowa joined the Unizin Consortium, a group of universities coming together to develop new capabilities in digital learning environments, particularly in the areas of analytics and content management.

The DeGowin Blood Center at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is encouraging those who are eligible to donate blood this holiday season.

The first data from NASA's MAVEN mission is giving researchers clues about what happened to the water on Mars. UI professor Jasper Halekas is playing a major role in the discovery.

University of Iowa Staff Council’s service recognition program acknowledges all professional and scientific and merit staff who have reached 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 years of continuous service. Longevity Award winners receive a certificate and letter of appreciation from the Office of the President.

The University of Iowa maintains several student-staffed consulting firms where students get on-the-job training and help Iowa businesses become stronger.

A class project in the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business helped Iowa businesses that are thinking about expanding their global market to China.

Sheila Barron, statistician/biostatistician manager in the College of Education, received an Innovation in Teaching and Technology award worth $34,600. The award was for her project “An Interactive Simulation Environment for Learning Statistical Concepts.”

Leaders of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics officials in Iowa City announced Monday, Dec. 15, that the state’s comprehensive academic medical center has been named as Iowa’s only Ebola treatment center. There are currently no reported cases of Ebola infections in Iowa or anywhere in the United States.

Workers on the University of Iowa campus are installing a 1,500-foot removable flood wall to encircle the Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories (IATL) site this week.

"The Student Experience" showcases University of Iowa students who excel academically—inside and outside the classroom. This installment features Alissa Bornhoft, whose struggles with her original area of study (math) eventually uncovered her heart's desire: teaching. These challenges shaped her teaching philosophy: "It's important to be able to connect with all students."

Iowa Now will publish on a lighter schedule Dec. 22-Jan. 9. The Iowa Now Top News email digest will only be sent out once during that time—Monday, Dec. 29, to share a Year in Review through video and photos.

Council Bluffs Lewis Central Middle School's seventh-grade artists are being invited to contribute to a work of art to dedicate one of the flood-recovered crown jewels of the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City.