The University of Iowa Office of the President announced Saturday, April 29, that Melissa Shivers, associate vice chancellor for student life and dean of students at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is the first candidate for the position of vice president for student life.

A year after UI President J. Bruce Harreld formed two Path Forward teams to broaden campus involvement in policy decisions, both are now implementing several new policies and initiatives. The processes have involved input from more than 100 faculty, staff, and students in support of the UI’s Strategic Plan 2016–2021.

The VP for Student Life Search Committee has announced the dates of the four final candidates’ public forums. Taking place the week of May 1, the forums will consist of a presentation by the candidate followed by a brief Q&A. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend.

The UI Office of the Provost announced Tuesday, April 25, that Linda A. Lewandowski, professor and former associate dean for academic affairs and graduate program director at the University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Nursing, is the second candidate for the position of dean of the UI College of Nursing.

The University of Iowa Office of the Provost announced Wednesday, April 19, that Keela Herr, current associate dean for faculty at the UI College of Nursing, is the first candidate for the position of dean of the UI College of Nursing.

The University of Iowa’s world-renowned bicycle frame–building courses bring together art and engineering students to answer the question “How do you build a bike?” Conceived by art professor Steve McGuire in 2010, Fabrication and Design: Hand Built Bicycle has become the model for how to build a university bike-building course.

Sheri Salata, University of Iowa alumna and former executive producer of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” comes to campus April 27 for a Life with Phil Talk, part of the UI Foundation’s Phil Was Here program. Salata says the UI has a “small-town feeling with big university opportunities.”

Jacob Isbell, a member of the University of Iowa Honors Program and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been named a 2017 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Foundation also recognized UI junior Lance Heady with an honorable mention.

A bicycle named ArrowHED, designed and built by UI art professor Steve McGuire, won Best Mountain Bike, Singletrack Choice Award, at Bespoked 2017, an international show for bicycle frame-builders held in Bristol, UK.

Rachel Bruflodt was named UI’s 2016–17 student employee of the year. The Dubuque, Iowa, native and seven other student employees, as well as nine student employee supervisors, was honored April 13 at a reception at the home of UI President J. Bruce Harreld.

The stories of more than 50 researchers, scholars, and creators from across campus are being told through a series of black-and-gold banners installed this month throughout downtown Iowa City, along the Park Road bridge, and in Old Capitol Town Center/University Capitol Centre (UCC).

The University of Iowa and its Landscape Services Tree Crew were recently honored with the 2016 Tree Campus USA award at the 27th Annual Community Forestry Awards Luncheon in Des Moines. The UI is one of only five Tree Campus USA award winners in Iowa. This is the eighth year in a row that the UI tree crew has received this honor.