The Office of the Vice President for Research awarded funding to 12 interdisciplinary University of Iowa research teams to support the development of large, competitive grant proposals. Seven of those teams engage CLAS researchers. The program begins this year and will run through 2029.

Valerie Payré, assistant professor in the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability, was never interested in confining her research to Earth; instead, she expanded her horizons to studying the formation of volcanoes on Mars.

From studying migraines in mice to infections in hospitals, these College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty members are working to change lives through interdisciplinary research with medical professionals.

A doctoral student in mathematics describes his work in operator theory, how he structures his time across research, teaching, and family, and why he feels a responsibility to make the most of the opportunity in front of him.

The new award recognizes scholars who cross disciplinary boundaries to produce insights not possible within a single field.

University of Iowa professor and poet Paige Lewis shares how their love of books, animals, and epic storytelling shapes their work, including their upcoming novel Canon. Rooted in a lived-in library and a hands-on writing practice, Lewis approaches literature as something to be used, marked, and fully experienced

Elizabeth Heineman, Brian Lai, and Jan Steyn were selected as 2026 recipients of the Hubbard-Walder Award for Excellence in Teaching.

CLAS researchers and alumni are contributing to future moon missions through lunar lander simulations and instrument development following Artemis II.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences received a gift of over $12 million from the estate of Ira L. Sorenson (BA, 1928), establishing the Ira L. and Vera S. Sorenson Fund in support of the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability (SEES).

The Office of the Vice President for Research Discovery and Innovation Awards continue the University of Iowa's longstanding tradition of recognizing work across research, scholarship, creative activity, public engagement, and research support. Honorees include David Miles, associate professor of physics and astronomy; Jessica Gorzelitz, assistant professor of health, sport, and human physiology; Robert Bork, professor of art and art history; Bingbing Zhang, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication; and Richard Dvorsky, aerospace principal engineer and interim research administrator in physics and astronomy.