Since its inception, the University of Iowa has been home to hardworking people who seek to improve the way universities do things. Founded just 52 days after Iowa was admitted into the Union, the State University of Iowa embarked upon a string of firsts. The university established the first colleges of law and dentistry west of the Mississippi. It founded the first coeducational medical school and the first college-level department of education in the country. It was the first to admit men and women of all races on an equal basis, the first to award a Master of Fine Arts degree, and the first to officially recognize a campus LGBTQ organization.

That forward momentum continues today; it’s the cornerstone of the way Iowa operates. Always with an eye toward providing the best possible resources to our students and researchers, the UI is working diligently to make sure our programs are effective and efficient, leading to positive outcomes for our graduates and doing valuable work that improves the lives of people in this state, the U.S., and around the world. Our new strategic plan, which sets out to do just that, is yet another way that Iowa is looking toward the future. Despite diminishing state funding, this university is—as it has since its inception—working with the resources it has to do extraordinary things. With the strategic plan as a guide, the UI will continue to improve and promote student success, research, and diversity.

This university has a culture of continuous improvement and resiliency. Faced with setbacks like the floods of 2008, we rebuilt and opened groundbreaking new facilities like Hancher, Voxman Music Building, and the Visual Arts Building—all of which received praise for their beauty and function, fitting for an institution known for both research and artistic excellence. We’ve weathered Y2K fears and the Great Recession and come out stronger than ever. We remember the past, but we look toward the future: Responding to an increasing need for public health experts, the College of Public Health debuted an undergraduate program last year and continues to increase its course offerings; the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, part of the College of Engineering, partnered with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to create a new computer science and engineering major; building on a long tradition of excellence in creative writing, the Department of English began a new major in English and creative writing; and the College of Law’s Master of Studies in Law, a degree for non-lawyers who deal with legal issues in their field, graduated its first cohort of students last May. The UI is always looking ahead to serve the changing needs not just of the present but of the future.

I’m proud of what this university accomplishes every day. All of us strive to do the best we can, from the staff who make the day-to-day operations of our programs possible to the students, instructors, and researchers who use them to do groundbreaking work. The UI runs on the effort and ingenuity of all who contribute to its ongoing success. It’s a privilege to be a part of this inspiring institution.