Alumni from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop won an exceptional number of national literary awards in this year’s awards season. The novels of three alumni in particular—Adam Haslett, Garth Greenwell, and Yaa Gyasi—received numerous honors. Workshop director Lan Samantha Chang says alumni were heavily represented in all categories of literary award.

Trowbridge Hall has a new, permanent home for its meteorite collection. Professor Ingrid Ukstins worked with UI sophomore Zachary Luppen to organize the nearly 100 meteorites into a single exhibit. The collection includes a 110-pound chunk of the Tilden Meteorite, pieces of which landed in Tilden, Illinois, in 1927.

“The Iowa Review,” one of the most respected literary magazines in the country, is bringing veterans’ work to a wider audience through the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans writing contest. The contest honors Jeff Sharlet, a Vietnam veteran, anti-war activist, and founder of “Vietnam GI.”

Accounting professor Kevin Markle comments on G.E.’s and other multinational companies’ use of offshoring profits to avoid paying U.S. corporate taxes.

Sixteen University of Iowa students and alumni have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants to conduct research, attend graduate school, undertake creative projects, or serve as English teaching assistants abroad in 2017–18, breaking the UI’s previous record of 15 set last year.

The second season in the University of Iowa’s new Hancher Auditorium also will be the organization’s 45th anniversary season. The celebratory lineup features an array of world-class performers who will contribute to the artistic conversation on the UI campus, in the community, and across the state.

The UI’s Chris Ogren, associate professor of the history of education in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies, spoke with Iowa Public Radio Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe about the history of education in the U.S. and how schools prepare children for college, careers, and engaged citizenship.

President Bruce Harreld has announced the University of Iowa will hire an independent firm to conduct an external review of university employment practices as defined by the Iowa Civil Rights Act. This review will begin with the UI Athletics Department.

Mousa Abuissa first saw the UI campus when he was on a vacation with his parents and sister, who had traveled from Syria to visit his uncle in Iowa City. Nearly eight years later, and after also completing a BA in music, he’s receiving a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

A team of University of Iowa researchers has discovered a new connection between two regions of the brain that may help explain how motor skills develop. Working with infant rats, the scientists found that the hippocampus and the red nucleus, part of the brain stem, synchronize during REM sleep.

During construction on Catlett Residence Hall about 10 a.m. Wednesday, a gas line was hit resulting in a gas leak. Catlett Residence Hall is a new building, currently under construction, and is not occupied by students.

About 4,800 UI students will receive their degrees at spring 2017 commencement ceremonies, which begin May 11 with the College of Pharmacy and end on May 26 with the College of Dentistry. All other ceremonies will take place May 12–14. Read on for college-specific information, including links to live video.