Our most popular articles from the summer of 2026 share a theme: people and ideas thrive with the right support. These stories show how expertise, mentorship, and community create new possibilities across CLAS and beyond.
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Side by side portraits: Mohammad Tehrani, Weiyu Xu

5. From Iowa to the international stage: Outreach program helps young mathematicians reach new heights

Through the Iowa Junior Math Academy and related outreach programs, CLAS faculty connect Iowa students with challenging mathematics, experienced mentors, and a community of peers who share their interests. Those sustained connections are helping young mathematicians build confidence, compete nationally and internationally, and envision futures in advanced mathematics. Read the story

 

Tony Tran sits with his chin on his hand, wearing an Iowa hoodie, in a room with lights on the wall behind him.

4. How CLAS alumnus Tony Tran explores language, culture, and connection

English and creative writing alumnus Tony Tran examines what people gain—and lose—as technology reshapes everyday interactions. Through his work as a senior editor for Slate.com and his Vietnamese conversation gatherings in Chicago, he uses language to connect people with complex ideas, cultural heritage, and one another. Read the story

 

 

A portrait of Shonda Monette

3. Staff spotlight: Shonda Monette cultivates connection across CLAS

After 25 years in CLAS, Shonda Monette understands that a strong workplace is built through relationships. In her role as chair of CLAS Staff Council, she creates opportunities for employees across the college to feel heard, recognize their shared purpose, and strengthen connections throughout the college. Read the story

 

Clockwise: Seongjoon Ahn, David Cunning, Kendall Heitzman, Cherrie Kwok, Sarah Minor, Stephanie Miracle, Alyssa Park, Stephen Voyce

2. Learn how CLAS faculty members are furthering humanities research this summer

Eight CLAS faculty members use summer funding to advance projects that explore culture, history, politics, and the human experience. Their work spans books, articles, creative projects, and public scholarship, creating new knowledge and extending the reach of humanities research within CLAS and beyond. Read the story

 

 

A five-panel photo collage bordered in Hawkeye gold: a tall interior view of Bamberg Cathedral's Gothic vaulted nave on the left, paired on the right with a student pointing at an illustration in a centuries-old rare book, a student writing Ancient Greek verb forms on a whiteboard, a group of students gathered outside Saint Raphael Orthodox Church, and a professor holding up a small painted Tibetan prayer wheel while teaching.

1. A new chapter for Classics and Religious Studies in CLAS

The new Department of Classics and Religious Studies brings two closely connected disciplines together, expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching, research, mentorship, and public engagement. Read the story