As thousands of RAGBRAI riders pour into Iowa City Friday, July 27, the downtown district—alleyways included—will serve as an entertainment hub for cyclists, citizens, and other visitors. But that might not have been possible without a partnership between the city and the University of Iowa’s Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities.

In 2017, two University of Iowa alums, Ed Moreno and Tracy Peterson, teamed up to bring pre-engineering camps to West Liberty, Iowa. This year, they are at it again.

The University of Iowa Office of Outreach and Engagement has worked with Jasper County for several years on projects in Lynnville, Sully, Baxter, and Newton. A majority of those projects—including two recent ones in Lynnville and Sully—were completed with help from the College of Engineering.

Created in response to the floods that ravaged Iowa City and eastern Iowa in 2008, the Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa set out to better predict flooding. Part of their work included creating an interactive inundation map for the city of Ames.

Each year dozens of Iowa faculty, staff, students, and alumni get their work published, win prizes, draw accolades, and earn awards. Here are some highlights from the many writing and writing-related programs in the 2017–18 academic year.

When the RAGBRAI pass-through towns are announced, faculty advisor and JPEC lecturer Bob Walker and his students offer them promotional assistance. They've done so for four years in a row, and this year are working with eight towns, including Templeton.

For five years, the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital has been sharing its message about bicycle safety across the state during the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), along with delivering medical care for cyclists along the route.

Grant from the United States-India Educational Foundation will fund research to solve water issues in India

The University of Iowa had another strong year for projects that will benefit Iowans, the country, and world thanks to an increase in federal funding for research and the number of proposals, grants, and contracts awarded in fiscal year 2018.

UI faculty and students have designed a web-based game that can be played by anyone with a smartphone and a Fitbit.

UI College of Pharmacy researchers have created a virtual, web-based pharmacy service that offers Iowa primary-care providers in small towns and rural areas additional help in managing chronic health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. The team is looking to expand the service in Iowa and beyond.

As a third class of Mandela Fellows attends the Young African Leaders Initiative held at the University of Iowa, 2017 YALI attendee Isaac Quaidoo is building on his experience in Iowa, taking a new, more ambitious view of his honey and bee product business in Ghana.