Articles from July 2026

Joyce Carol Oates portrait

CLAS professor Harry Stecopoulos on the Queen of Literary X and Her Latest Story Collection

Monday, July 13, 2026
Harry Stecopoulos, professor in the University of Iowa Department of English, examines Joyce Carol Oates' latest short story collection, The Frenzy, in a new essay for Literary Hub. Drawing on Oates' fiction and public presence on social media, Stecopoulos argues that her work offers a more nuanced view of digital culture, suggesting that technology itself is less to blame than the human behaviors and anxieties it reflects.
A portrait photo of Tracy Meginnis

CLAS's Certificate in Writing coordinator turns a passion for words into opportunity

Monday, July 6, 2026
Through the Certificate in Writing and student publications, Tracy Meginnis helps students develop their voices, leadership skills, and professional goals.
Child takes photo of wildflowers while standing in tall prairie grass

Explore and connect at CLAS's 6th Annual BioBlitz

This free community event celebrates the rich biodiversity of Iowa's prairies.
Diagram showing a solar storm's magnetic cloud expanding as it traveled from the Sun toward Earth, with observations from the Solar Orbiter and WIND spacecraft at two different points in space.

CLAS researchers describe ‘super expansion’ magnetic cloud from the sun

Monday, July 6, 2026
A University of Iowa-led physics team has detailed the extreme expansion of a magnetic cloud that originated from a huge, gaseous explosion on the sun. Findings reveal more about how gaseous explosions from the sun could be dangerous to Earth.
Amanda Hebel, social work alumna

From Iowa City to the Rockies: How one social work graduate built a career on connection

Monday, July 6, 2026
Since earning her bachelor's degree in social work from Iowa in 2010, Amanda Hebel has spent 15 years helping people navigate life's challenges—from hospice care to rehabilitation services across Colorado.