University of Iowa Chief Diversity Office staff members invite everyone to celebrate the diversity contributions of six award recipients at the 14th Annual Diversity Catalyst Awards Reception and Awards Program Thursday, April 18, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Iowa Memorial Union Second Floor Ballroom.

The University of Iowa American Indian Student Association will host the 20th anniversary Powwow Saturday and Sunday April 13-14 in the UI Recreation Building, featuring dance and drum competition, food, and arts and crafts.

Cristina Ortiz grew up as part of the lone Latino family in Leon, Iowa. The UI anthropology graduate student now lives in Columbus Junction, Iowa, and is researching the growing Chin Burmese refugee population that lives in this community. She will present her research Friday, April 5 as part of a panel presentation during the Refugees in the Heartland Provost's Global Forum.

Jeff Schott, director of the UI's Institute of Public Affairs, says that communities that welcome Hispanics and other immigrants reap economic benefits and that communities should see this as an opportunity to address work force shortages.

One of the featured characters in "The Interrupters," an award-winning documentary addressing violence in Chicago, will speak at the University of Iowa after a presentation of selected portions of the film at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in the Lindquist Center, Room N300. The event is free and open to the public.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Alec Brobston told his mom he intended to join the U.S. Army. He went on to fulfill his pledge, beginning a journey that’s taken him to South Korea, Iraq, and the University of Iowa, where he aims to build community among veterans.

Join the 10th anniversary celebration of the University of Iowa’s Asian and Pacific American Cultural Center April 5-7, co-sponsored by the UI Center for Student Involvement and Leadership and the UI Alumni Association.

The Senior Project connects high school students with area seniors. Their work together will result in written portraits of new friends made across the generations.

Cadet Ryan Wilson, a UI senior, was recently ranked as the No. 16 cadet among 5,600 in the country by the U.S. Army Cadet Command. Wilson is the battalion commander of the UI Reserve Officers' Training Corps, the highest position in the program.

The Midwest is home to some of the largest refugee communities in the country, and Iowa has been instrumental in creating the modern refugee resettlement system. But who is a refugee, and what distinguishes refugees from immigrants? Learn more at a free UI Provost's Global Forum, "Refugees in the Heartland," April 4-7.

International immigrants are attracted to the Midwest, and Iowa specifically, for its low unemployment rate and cost of living, diverse economic sectors, and educational opportunities, says Amy Weismann, associate director for the UI Center for Human Rights.

UI student Alfredo Garcia of Sioux City says his Mexican immigrant parents have labored intensely in fields and factories to give him and his siblings the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Garcia, who is also president of First Generation Iowa, says he is grateful for scholarships that have made it feasible for him to attend the UI and graduate debt free.

Employment opportunities in the health science fields will be the topic of discussion when students from two eastern Iowa middle schools visit the University of Iowa Department of Biology this spring as part of Project HOPE, created by College of Education associate professor Saba Ali.

The Tippie College of Business hosted a workshop to help faculty and staff learn to properly pronounce the names of students from China, which are at a record high in the college.

This year, the University of Iowa Celebrating Cultural Diversity Festival will be Sunday, Sept. 29 as a kick-off to the week’s Homecoming events, creating a new fall tradition for a popular event that has traditionally been held during the spring semester for the past 22 years.

Featuring two brilliant dancers and two live bands, "India Jazz Suites" is a cross-cultural celebration of fleet-footedness.

The University of Iowa has unveiled its new diversity website, UI Diversity@Iowa, with enhanced navigation features and a more robust platform for stories, social media, images, and a comprehensive diversity calendar.

Maurita Murphy Mead, professor of clarinet in the University of Iowa School of Music, and graduate student Ze Emilio Gobbo will present the latest installment of the Distinguished Clarinet Lecture/Recital Series of Brazilian Music at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, in Old Capitol on the UI campus.

Three University of Iowa College of Education leaders have received Better Futures for Iowans grants to support projects in dentistry, disability, and world language education. Through the outreach work of Saba Ali, Nicholas Colangelo, and James Stachowiak, Iowans benefit across the state.

In celebration of Black History Month, Old Capitol Museum is hosting a traveling exhibit from the African American Museum of Iowa as well as talks and educational programming. The exhibit, “Unconditional Loyalty: The Military Service of African Americans,” remains open until Sunday, March 3.