Three Iowa faculty members have been awarded Fulbright grants to conduct research, study, or teach abroad in 2019–20.

A research team at the University of Iowa has been awarded $750,000 from the U.S. National Science Foundation to develop a natural growth additive in fertilizer that aims to improve crop yields. The researchers, led by Ned Bowden in the Department of Chemistry, will test the growth additive on corn and soybean crops and on a biomass source called Miscanthus grass.

Fred Skiff, professor and chair in Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been appointed to the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee in the U.S Department of Energy's Office of Science. Skiff will advise the DOE in laser and optical plasma diagnostics, and nonlinear dynamics of plasmas.

University of Iowa biologists have traced the evolutionary origin of genes associated with a key enzyme involved in regulating metabolism in eukaryotes, which include all living organisms other than bacteria. The findings were published earlier this month in the journal PLOS One.

Two former UI graduate students have won the 2019 D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize. Rajula Elango, who earned a PhD in integrated biology in 2017, won in the Biological and Life Sciences category. Stefan Schöeberlein, who earned a PhD in English in 2018, won in the Humanities and Fine Arts category.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a $4.2 million grant to the University of Iowa over five years to continue the Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC) in the College of Public Health.

Jeremy Greenlee, of the University of Iowa Department of Neurosurgery, received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers on July 25 in Washington, D.C. The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government to outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their research careers.

A team of University of Iowa alumnae that includes Algonquin, Iowa, native Genevieve Goelz has received a $10,000 prize for a bra they designed as an engineering class project that provides breast cancer survivors both support and relief from lymphedema pain after a single mastectomy.

A team of biomedical engineers who designed a bra as University of Iowa students that helps breast cancer survivors with lymphedema won a $10,000 prize from Victoria’s Secret that will help them commercialize the garment.

University of Iowa Staff Council’s service-recognition program acknowledges all professional and scientific and merit supervisory exempt and confidential 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.