Chemical and biochemical engineering professor Hyeongmin Seo was awarded $1.5 million to contribute to the Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts. Seo, who joined the College of Engineering this year, will further investigate the chemistry of biomass, or organic waste such as scraps of wood or agricultural residue, and how to turn organic waste into renewable and biodegradable plastics for use in products, such as environmental sensors.

The search committee for the next University of Iowa vice president for research is pleased to announce that two candidates will participate in campus visits during the next two weeks. Each candidate will participate in an open forum and meet with faculty, staff, students, shared governance, and campus leadership.

University of Iowa researchers studied how aspirin in low doses affected those over age 65.

The University of Iowa is seeking approval from the Iowa Board of Regents to begin work on three facilities projects at the board’s meeting Sept. 18–19. Projects include renovating the Performing Arts Annex, which will be the new home of the UI Department of Dance; updating the Iowa Bioscience Innovation Facility with new research and entrepreneurial lab space; and constructing the Utilities Services Building to increase efficiencies and consolidate space for facilities staff.

Recognizing spoken words is a split-second competition, and a new study from the University of Iowa defines how people approach that competition and ultimately recognize words. The researchers identified three main approaches by which people of all ages — including those who use cochlear implants to hear — recognize spoken language.

The University of Iowa has further positioned itself to be centrally involved in space exploration through a $1.5 million award for state-of-the-art equipment that will yield components for future missions. The award opens opportunities for students to learn advanced space instrumentation skills.

University of Iowa archaeologists have uncovered the first-ever well-preserved mastodon skull scientifically excavated from the state of Iowa — a find that notably dates to when the first humans lived and hunted in the area.

Rishab Nithyanand, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, will tackle the enforcement of consumer privacy regulations with the help of a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The award, the NSF’s most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty, includes a five-year grant for $633,023. Nithyanand and his team will develop a variety of computational tools to help enforcement agencies perform large-scale audits to determine if organizations are complying with consumer privacy regulations.

Beth Walker, associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, is leading a project focused on training graduate students in audiology and speech-language pathology on how to work with and treat children with disabilities who come from multicultural backgrounds.

The University of Iowa has been awarded a $6 million, four-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to lead a multistate collaboration with universities, local governments, health care providers, and other experts on a project that will help Midwest agricultural communities grappling with effects of severe weather, such as floods, droughts, and heat waves.

External funding to support research, scholarship, and creative activities at the University of Iowa totaled $683.8 million in fiscal year 2024, which ended on June 30, 2024. This is a 22% increase over the previous year’s $561 million.

A University of Iowa professor has received funding to study an imaging technology that could help provide early identification of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Trying to maintain a balance between workplace and home roles can take a toll on women's mental health, and a UI researcher has studied how employer-sponsored benefits can help.

A study by University of Iowa researchers could aid in understanding sleep-related breathing disorders in children.

Iowa researcher Jason Semprini studied the affects of healthy behavior incentives on dental visits.

Ravitej Uppu, assistant professor in the UI Department of Physics and Astronomy, has received a grant to study how to improve the way information is transmitted securely at the quantum level.

IIHR engineers recently designed and built scale models of a complex water-retention and storage system for municipal, agricultural, and other major water users in eastern Colorado, where water supply can fluctuate, and are testing the efficacy and efficiency of a new pump station that will be added to the Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control Facilities.

Crossing roads for children can be a risky calculation, especially when the vehicles are self-driven. In a new study, University of Iowa researchers determined pre-teenage children are safest when self-driving vehicles signaled their intent to yield with a green light when they arrived at the intersection, then stopped.

Two University of Iowa researchers have been approved for nearly $18 million to help older adults with multiple chronic medical conditions better manage their hypertension.