Kyle McWilliams lives a life like most other first-year students at the University of Iowa, filled with classes, sports, and friends, despite the fact he has Fibrodysplasiaossificans progressiva, a rare disease that turns his muscles and tendons into bone.

The University of Iowa String Quartet Residency Program—coordinated by violist Elizabeth Oakes, lecturer in the UI School of Music—will present the Bartók Cycle by the Chiara String Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6 and 7, in Riverside Recital Hall on the UI campus.

The University of Iowa School of Music will present a free performance by the All-University String Orchestra and the UI Chamber Orchestra at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, in Riverside Recital Hall on the UI campus.

The University of Iowa has temporarily restricted off-campus access to sensitive financial information on employee Human Resources Self Service websites in response to a recent spike in “phishing” emails.

The University of Iowa School of Music will present a free performance by the UI Symphony Orchestra with the combined School of Music choirs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the Main Lounge of the Iowa Memorial Union.

A quiz about screen time for children includes advice from Deborah Linebarger, University of Iowa associate professor of education, who has conducted multiple studies on young kids' media use and recommends TV and videos that have a lot of dialogue and tell simple stories.

Iowa City's strategy of supporting local startups rather than pursuing huge companies' expansions, paired with the exposure that the UI's Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center provides for student-led startups, creates a city with strong momentum.

Mackenzie Bean and Shyla Ruppert were University of Iowa freshmen from different states living in the same residence hall last year when, by happenstance, they discovered a common love of knitting. (Note: A paid subscription may be required.)

Paul McCray, Jr. and David Price, both faculty in the UI Carver College of Medicine, have been awarded the distinction of 2013 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The University of Iowa Bicycle Advisory Committee invites UI faculty, staff, and students to join the Winter Warrior Challenge, a fun way to show that a bike commute is possible despite chilly temperatures, Dec. 1-20.

The 2013 University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll captured public opinion among Iowans on a range of timely issues, from health care coverage and gun control to the 2014 U.S. Senate elections and the recent federal government shutdown.

This Thanksgiving, no one will be without a place to gather for good food, conversation, and the opportunity to give thanks. The University of Iowa is hosting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, Nov. 28, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Old Brick. Though free and open to the UI community, advance registration is necessary, and volunteers are still invited to help.