The Venture School program operated statewide by the University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center has been honored as a Partner of the Year by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Iowa.

Every year, UI faculty member Bob Walker takes a group of entrepreneurial students to consult with small-business owners in San Pedro Columbia, Belize. Last fall, UI student Mackenzie Phillips visited on her own as part of a research assignment and found that Walker’s efforts have made a big difference.

University of Iowa Health Care staff will begin moving pediatric patients into the new University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital on Saturday, Feb. 25.

The University of Iowa will divest fully from coal as a campus energy source by 2025. UI officials, led by President Harreld, announced the goal, which will come from the university increasing its use of biomass and other renewable energy sources.

Cities, counties, and other groups, including the UI, are organizing regional watershed management authorities (WMAs) and hiring project coordinators as the Iowa Watershed Approach (IWA), a $96.9 million program, enters its first official year and kicks off work to reduce flood risks and improve water quality across the state.

The University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine and Tippie College of Business have teamed up to offer classes that teach business basics to medical students so they have a better idea of the business side of medicine when they go into practice.

The UI College of Pharmacy hopes to become a leader in palliative and hospice care education, allowing its graduates to help meet the growing demand for end-of-life medical experts.

As part of the spring 2017 semester, eight new Climate Narrative Project fellows will be combining various forms of art and storytelling to explore the theme of “Envisioning a Regenerative City in an Age of Climate Change.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has named the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids corridor and the University of Iowa’s National Advanced Driving Simulator as one of 10 designated automated vehicle proving ground sites in the nation.

When Scott Beckner took the reins as the UI public safety director, he identified connecting with the student body as one of his priorities. One of the means to that end was building relationships with students by forming teams of officers to take on students in intramural sports.

Meet Beth MacKenzie, the UI’s new recycling coordinator. Based in the Office of Sustainability, MacKenzie’s goal is to help the UI meet its 2020 target of diverting 60 percent of on-campus waste away from the landfill. She also leads Recyclemania 2017, an all-campus recycling initiative that begins on Feb. 5.

The University of Iowa has been ranked No. 2 in the country for its entrepreneurial programs by a higher education financing organization that praised its wide array of programs and reasonable tuition.