Nicholas Boggs, a writer and assistant professor of English and creative writing at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Truman Capote Literary Trust Award for Literary Criticism in Memory of Newton Arvin.

Poet Brenda Hillman, who earned an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1976, is a 2026 finalist for the prestigious National Book Award.

The committee conducting the Iowa Board of Regents Revenue Enhancement and Productivity Study (REAPS) has identified nine areas for further exploration as the study enters its second phase.

A new approach to treating ovarian cancer has taken an important step forward. Research developed in the lab of Jill Kolesar, UI College of Pharmacy dean and Jean M. Schmidt Chair, has received FDA approval to move to clinical trials.

When Ron Watson’s prostate cancer persisted through several treatments, a targeted therapy available near his Ankeny home produced a remarkable response — and helped him return to the baseball field.

From Caitlin Clark’s return to the excitement surrounding College GameDay and a marquee football matchup, it was a memorable weekend for Hawkeye fans.

Simran Sarin has always been interested in how medicine is practiced in extreme environments, whether it be the remote Himalayas or outer space. Now, she will experience the fundamentals of medicine in space through a highly selective program sponsored by NASA.

Iowa students launched weather balloons in Iceland this summer, putting the century-old “Iowa Idea” into action. Working across disciplines and adapting to the unexpected, they came away with lessons that went far beyond the data they collected.

As more of everyday life moves online, keeping up with technology can become more challenging as we age. Yiduo Shao, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship, is exploring why adapting can be more difficult over time and how staying connected can support independence, professional opportunities, and access to health care.

Know someone whose research, scholarship, creativity, or mentorship deserves to be celebrated? Nominations are open for the 2027 Discovery and Innovation Awards, recognizing faculty, staff, and students whose work is making a difference on campus and beyond. The deadline is Jan. 15.

Iowa grad Ty Schmit turned his interests in sports, media, and storytelling into a career producing The Pat McAfee Show, hosted by the ESPN College GameDay analyst. Schmit credits the UI with providing opportunities to work across disciplines and giving him room to explore storytelling, including a creative writing course that helped him realize he had a talent worth pursuing.

Why do people choose to use drugs even when they’re fully aware of the negative consequences? A University of Iowa neuroscientist received funding to determine what happens in the brain when people make that decision.