Acclaimed conductor and UI alumnus Gerhardt Zimmermann and pianist Garrick Ohlsson will join the UI Symphony Orchestra in a concert honoring the late James Dixon, the symphony’s former director and Zimmermann’s professor. “Iowa Now” recently sat down with Zimmermann to talk about his career and teacher.

University of Iowa volcanologist Ingrid Ukstins spent two weeks collecting samples from Yasur, a continuously erupting volcano on Tanna, an island in the remote South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, to study its chemical composition and determine how the gasses it produces may be affecting people who live nearby.

Robert Cargill, UI assistant professor of classics and religious studies, doesn’t mind being in front of a camera. He’s appeared on CNN’s series “Finding Jesus,” as well as the History Channel, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Channel, to debunk bad scholarship and bring important humanities research to the public.

The Chinese cultural concept of “moqi” (pronounced “mo-chee”) means something like unspoken cooperation or teamwork. Rather than asking direct questions, many Asian workers use it to interpret their supervisor’s intentions. Moqi may not help domestic companies, but American firms with ties to Asia might want to keep it in mind.

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.

After graduation, UI marketing major Alex Pagano will become an air battle manager at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida. Pagano, a former wing commander in the UI’s Air Force ROTC program, says her Tippie College of Business mentors also played a key role in her success.

When Iowa Law alumna Sara Davenport began working as assistant county attorney in Jackson County, Iowa, she didn’t expect to stay very long. But when the Jackson County attorney resigned, Davenport found herself appointed to the position, one she’s grown to love.

When World War I broke out a century ago, the State University of Iowa became a training ground for soldiers and officers. Many members of the SUI community left to join the fight overseas, 83 of them eventually dying as a result of the conflict.

In 2013, Registrar Services Coordinator Sara Sullivan chose to take advantage of her University of Iowa benefits and meet with a health coach. Over the next four years, she was able to shed 85 pounds and now runs marathons. She says making that first meeting was key.

Death notices for current and retired UI employees. Links to online obituaries provided when available.

Thanks to a OneIT subproject, many UI students’ and employees’ Iowa One Card door access is now automatically updated based on information from MAUI and human resources or housing databases. The new system saves staff members’ time and increases security.

What do particle diffusion and stock price prediction have to do with building a better HIV vaccine? According to University of Iowa microbiologist Hillel Haim, you can apply concepts from both to predict the evolution of HIV surface proteins, making it easier to design effective vaccines.