A University of Iowa research team led by Stefan Strack, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, will use a four-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study proteins that may help protect brain cells from stroke.

Mary Jo Bang, former visiting faculty at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and Eleni Sikelianos will read at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4, in a free reading at Prairie Lights Books in downtown Iowa City as part of the Mission Creek Festival. The reading also will be streamed live on the University of Iowa Writing University website.

The University of Iowa Department of Dance will present Lifescapes, a production featuring the thesis works of three graduate students, at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 4-6, in Space Place Theatre of North Hall. The event combines new works by Joseph Cox, Jennifer Harge, and Michael Medcalf.

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

The deadline for nominations for this year’s University of Iowa Children’s Hospital Kid Captains has been extended to April 14.

Fiction writer/essayist Roxane Gay and University of Iowa professor of English John D’Agata will read from their work at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, in a free reading at Prairie Lights Books in downtown Iowa City as part of the Mission Creek Festival.

Uptown Bill's and Wild Bill's coffee shops are planning a week of special events to mark the 100th birthday of Bill Sackter. Music, films, an art show, and more are scheduled during the week of April 8-13.

One of the featured characters in "The Interrupters," an award-winning documentary addressing violence in Chicago, will speak at the University of Iowa after a presentation of selected portions of the film at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in the Lindquist Center, Room N300. The event is free and open to the public.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Alec Brobston told his mom he intended to join the U.S. Army. He went on to fulfill his pledge, beginning a journey that’s taken him to South Korea, Iraq, and the University of Iowa, where he aims to build community among veterans.

Data from a statewide survey of sixth, eighth, and 11th-grade Iowa students found an increased risk for alcohol use, binge drinking, using marijuana and other illegal drugs, and misusing prescription drugs among children of deployed or recently returned military parents compared to children in nonmilitary families.

The University of Iowa’s Hancher will present "Kindur: The Adventurous Life of Icelandic Sheep" by Compagnia TPO on Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Compagnia TPO is a company on the frontier of interactive performances.

Finalists for university librarian will visit the University of Iowa starting Monday, April 1, presenting a series of open forums on the future of libraries at research-intensive universities.