News Briefs

  • CLAS graduate student bridges a passion for writing and experimental film

    March 06, 2023


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  • CLAS faculty member establishes Anne Frank Initiative at University of Iowa

    March 06, 2023


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  • CLAS philosophy professor receives $234,000 research grant

    March 02, 2023


    By Charlotte Brookins 

    University of Iowa professor and neurophilosopher Carrie Figdor has been awarded a prestigious $234,000 grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation to pursue research in bonobos and dolphins, specifically about whether they have proper names in their communication systems. 

    Carrie Figdor
    Carrie Figdor

    “It’s thrilling!” says Figdor on receiving the grant. “It’s great to have all of that come together in a successful grant, especially since interdisciplinary projects are hard to pull off.” 

    Figdor, a professor in the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, works in the field of philosophy of psychology and neuroscience, philosophy of language, metaphysics, neuroethics, and media ethics. She has published multiple papers and a book. 

    With this award, Figdor will be able to focus on her research over the next three years, which extends the research published in her book, Pieces of Mind: The Proper Domain of Psychological Predicates, published by Oxford University Press in 2018. Examining the evolution of cognition from the perspective of phylogeny—the study of evolutionary history within groups of organisms—Figdor is studying the details of how language and other communication systems evolved over time. 

    “This is a broader question than asking about the evolution of human cognition specifically. Just as evolutionary biologists ask how all species evolved from a last universal common ancestor, they are also interested in knowing how particular features or traits came about,” she explains.  

    The grant will also help Figdor and her collaborators—primate researcher Francine Dolins (UM-Dearborn) and dolphin researchers Diana Reiss (CUNY-Hunter) and Brenda McGowan (UC-Davis)—break new ground in the realm of philosophy of cognition—the study of the fundamental nature of cognition regarding intelligence and existence. 

    “Interestingly, whether nonhuman communication systems include proper names is hardly explored— there are some suggestive studies and findings,” explains Figdor. “But no experimental work on whether at least some animal species use individualized sounds or signs the way we use the individualized sounds or signs we call ‘proper names.’ So, our research will break new ground.” 

    Figdor is especially grateful to the university for its role in supporting her research.  

    “For me, the most important feature of the University of Iowa leading to this grant is the generosity of the Board of Regents and the citizens of Iowa to provide faculty with sabbatical leave,” she says. “This grant would never have come about without the opportunities that my 2019-2020 sabbatical opened up for me.” 

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  • CLAS research, scholarship, and creative activity builds on strength

    February 22, 2023


    Joshua Weiner
    Joshua Weiner

    By Joshua Weiner, Associate Dean for Research 

    The artists, writers, scholars, and scientists of the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences span an enormous range of disciplines and approach their work with a diverse array of viewpoints.  

    What they share is a commitment to the importance of thinking deeply about the world around us—and within us—and a desire to explain, depict, and transmit their unique understanding to our students, colleagues, and citizens. CLAS researchers, scholars, and artists have shown impressive resilience during the past few years, overcoming a multitude of challenges brought on by a global pandemic, heightened societal tensions, and an educational landscape that has likely changed forever.  

    Research in CLAS is stronger than ever—as highlighted by the facts, figures, and stories below. 


    Grants 

    External grant, contract, and fellowship funding in CLAS has surged in recent years to unprecedented levels. The formation of the college's Grant Support Office (GSO) in 2018 provided the support our faculty, research staff, and graduate students need to pursue and manage a wide array of awards. Total dollars awarded jumped nine percent from FY18 to FY19 and another seven percent from FY19 to FY20.  

    This growth was boosted into outer space with $115 million—the largest single grant ever received by the University of Iowa—awarded by NASA for the TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) planned orbiter mission to study the origins of the solar wind and how it affects Earth, based in our Department of Physics and Astronomy.  

     work happening on the TRACERS mission in Van Allen Hall.
    Work happening on the TRACERS mission in Van Allen Hall at the University of Iowa.

    Strong grantsmanship by our faculty in several other departments, including Biology, Chemistry, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Computer Science, Health and Human Physiology, and Psychological and Brain Sciences, also helped drive our total dollars awarded from a prior average of ~$40 million annually to $81 million in FY21, $71 million in FY22, and over $100 million already in FY23—with four months left.  

    Not only does this mean our dedicated scientists can fully pursue their research aimed at understanding the phenomena of the natural world, the way we communicate, and the workings of our brains and bodies in health and disease, it allows CLAS to provide better support for research and scholarship throughout our 37 departments. Indirect cost return associated with grants provides an important portion of the funds we need to renovate space, purchase and repair equipment, support internal programs like Old Gold Summer Fellowships, and provide services, such as the GSO.  


    Fellowships 

    External support and recognition of CLAS research by national and international funding agencies are not limited to the sciences. Our arts, humanities, and social science faculty successfully compete for limited, prestigious fellowships that allow them protected time to focus on their impactful scholarly and artistic projects.  

    Since 2020, many CLAS faculty have received fellowships from major agencies such as the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the National Endowments for the Humanities (NEH) and for the Arts (NEA).  

    Our faculty have also garnered support from a wide variety of discipline-or internationally-focused foundations. These fellowships are critical because of the support they give to the work of our scholars and artists, but also for the national and international renown they bring to our college and the University of Iowa, which boosts our recruitment of gifted students, staff, and faculty. 


    Awards, recognition, and rankings 

    Last fall, the University of Iowa passed Princeton and Harvard, landing as the No.2 university in the country for Writing in the Disciplines, according to U.S. News and World Report. This distinction was earned by CLAS and the programs of our college, helping prepare students across the university for success in their field as writers and communicators.  

    A row of recent books by CLAS faculty

    That strength is exemplified in the many books our faculty have authored and published, and the prestigious awards they have received for their work, including Melissa Febos, associate professor in the Department of English, who in 2022 won a National Book Critics Circle Award (in addition to both Guggenheim and NEA fellowships), and Donika Kelly, assistant professor in English, who won a 2022 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (as well as being a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award and being awarded an NEA fellowship).  

    The recognitions continue to come in for our faculty. In January, Graznya Kochanska was named a 2022 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a year after five of our faculty received this prestigious recognition. Other recent significant awardees include Julianna Pacheco, who was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research leader; Weimin Han who was named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society; Craig Kletzing who was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society; and just in the last two weeks, Anna Malkova who was named a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology—plus many more accomplishments.  


    Strategic vision 

    As we pursue the CLAS 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, the research team has made significant strides and set goals and priorities for the coming year. You can view our progress from year one and the priorities for year two on the CLAS Strategic Plan website.   

    Research team members:  

    • Joshua Weiner, Associate Dean for Research 
    • Carmen Langel, Grant Support Office Director 
    • Lance Bolton, CLAS Technology Services Senior Director  
    • Eugene Buck, Facilities Director 
    • Stratis Giannakouros, Office of Sustainability and the Environment Director 
    • Gabbie McDermott, Operations Specialist 

    The success of this institution is in many ways driven by the success of our college; and the success of CLAS is driven in turn by our faculty, staff, and students working and collaborating every day to strengthen our culture of creativity and discovery. 

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  • CLAS journalism professor keynotes University of Paris conference

    February 20, 2023


    By Emily Delgado  

    University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication professor David Dowling gave the keynote address at an international conference that was organized around his 2021 book release.  

    David Dowling
    David Dowling

    The conference is called The Future of Technological Mediation in Journalism and the Media and will take place at the University of Paris. Dowling will present research from his book titled The Gamification of Digital Journalism: Innovation in Journalistic Storytelling, which explains how the rise of digital media has changed journalism.  

    “The University of Paris was attracted to my research, in part, through the reputation of the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication—which is increasingly known for its voluminous and influential leading-edge faculty research generated,” Dowling says. 

    He says the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences was an essential part of writing his book because it provided him with access to state-of-the-art research databases and support to pursue his research. 

    “I see [this opportunity] as a collective and mutual success to be shared with my unit, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,” he explains. “The college provided key resources in a stimulating environment."  

    Dowling says the story of journalism and the digital revolution is an important one to tell because it impacts civic engagement. In his everyday teaching life Dowling says he presents case studies that support advocacy of marginalized populations. 

    "Students are moved by interactive and gamified media that demonstrates the potential for journalistic storytelling to reach new ranges and depths of expression through more empathic, human connection with subjects than traditional media can offer,” he says.  

    Dowling presented at the conference on March 7.  

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  • Biologists show how brain’s immune system response worsens epilepsy

    February 20, 2023


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  • CLAS Grant Support Office welcomes three new staff members

    February 20, 2023


    The CLAS Grant Support Office (GSO) is committed to providing excellent pre-and post-award support to researchers navigating the grant submission and management process. Please help us welcome our three newest additions to the team!

    Feel free to reach out to anyone on our team with questions or by emailing CLAS-GSO@uiowa.edu.


    Isabelle Hardy
    Isabelle Hardy

    Isabelle Hardy
    Post-Award Grant Manager
    Primary Post-Award Department: Biology
    Isabelle joined CLAS in November 2022. She has been with the University of Iowa since 2008, previously serving as a research support manager in the Departments of Urology and Neurology. She has also worked as program manager for the Neuroscience and Genetics PhD programs. Isabelle will focus on post-award support, but also has significant pre-award experience and will help with submissions as needed. 


    Kristi Fitzpatrick
    Kristi Fitzpatrick

    Kristi Fitzpatrick 
    Pre-Award Grant Manager
    Primary Pre-Award Departments: Mathematics and the Condensed Matter Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy 
    Kristi may be a familiar face to many of you, as she has recently returned to the GSO to assist on the pre-award side. She has worked in research administration for over 18 years and has experience with a variety of sponsors, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Department of Education, as well as local and private organizations. 


    Bethany Cornwell
    Bethany Cornwell

    Bethany Cornwell 
    Research Support Coordinator
    Bethany recently moved to Iowa from Maryland, where she worked at The Maryland Zoo, and as a dog trainer. Ready for a career change, the GSO presented her an opportunity to utilize her attention to detail and passion to build relationships and help people. She joined the GSO office in January 2023 and supports both the pre-and post-award teams, including responding to inquiries, developing budgets, updating projections, and helps manage GSO communications. 

     

     

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  • Mark Berg appointed interim director of the Public Policy Center

    February 20, 2023


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  • UI named top producer of Fulbright U.S. students for seventh year

    February 20, 2023


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  • Meet the CLAS Artist and Researchers

    February 16, 2023


    Faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are doing impactful and interesting work across disciplines. Learn more about the research, creative projects, and interests of Christopher Harris, Julianna Pacheco, and Elizabeth Yale. 


    Christopher Harris is the F. Wendell Miller Associate Professor and head of film and video production in the Department of Cinematic Arts.  

    Christopher Harris
    Christopher Harris

    What is the focus of your work? 

    I am an experimental filmmaker. I work with film like a visual artist or a poet—that is, I work alone for the most part and I use the medium for artistic, intellectual expression rather than commercial entertainment. The dominant mode of filmmaking is collaborative and commercial, but there is another tradition that is more self-consciously personal and subversive, critical, and counter-cultural. I work primarily in 16mm film, which is a commercially obsolete medium that was once primarily used for television commercials, industrial films, and educational films, but it also has a long tradition dating back to the mid-20th century of artistic experimentation. Working in this mode, I explore themes of African American historiography through formal experimentation with the physical properties of the film strip. Just as a painter uses pigment and canvas, I foreground the material of the 16mm film strip, light, shadow, and time to reflect on the complexities and paradoxes of African American experiences. 

    Tell us about the broad impact you’d like it to have. 

    For the kind of work I do, the impact is usually at a remove; though it doesn’t reach mass audiences in the way that commercial cinema does, it does have an impact within educational contexts—my work is screened and discussed in classrooms—which means that it is influencing coming generations of artists and thinkers. It is also screened in various venues such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Academy Museum, the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, and film festivals and screening venues across north America, Latin America and Europe.  

    The ultimate impact of experimental films is subtle; it usually takes a while for ideas from the art world and experimental cinema, as well as academia, to filter out into the broader culture but it inevitably does. That’s where I hope my work will have an impact in the years to come. 

    What excites you about the environment in CLAS? 

    I am inspired by being in a context where my work is recognized and valued as it is in CLAS. I’m also inspired by being among so many artists and scholars with such vital and thriving research and creative work. Everywhere I look, I see that we have exciting work being done in every area of the college. 

    What are your hobbies and pursuits outside of work? 

    When possible, I love to hear great music live, usually avant-garde jazz if possible. I also try to go to a museum or art gallery whenever possible and wherever I happen to find myself in the world. I spend way too much time on Facebook because I have so many fascinating friends and acquaintances on there and I use it more for research than for anything else. I learn a lot from my brilliant friends on social media. Finally, I am always on the hunt for a great restaurant. Some of my best memories are related to flavors. 

    Any favorite things to do in Iowa City?  

    I have a couple of favorite restaurants in town. Watching films at FilmScene, attending art exhibits, artist talks, and performances at PS1, and seeing what’s new at Prairie Lights are some of my favorite things to do in Iowa City. Every once in a while, in the heat of the Iowa summer, I take the family for pie shakes. That’s a definite highlight of summertime in IC. 


    Julianna Pacheco is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science.  

    Julianna Pacheco
    Julianna Pacheco

    What is the focus of your work?  

    My work is at the nexus of political science and population health.  My early work looked at the association between health and voter turnout as well as public opinion; more recently, I am interested in how political equality translates into health equity for marginalized communities, especially in Iowa. I am part of a three-person team (with Nicole Novak from the UI College of Public Health and Nicholas Salazar, President of LULAC) to investigate the effects of Iowa’s recent bill Senate File 413 on the voting power of Latinx communities across Iowa. This research is generously funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Program

    Tell us about the broad impact you’d like it to have.  

    In the long-term, we aim to increase Latinx turnout and elevate the voices of Latinx communities across Iowa. For the academic community, my hope is to contribute to the growing field of research on the political determinants of health. 

    What excites you about the environment in CLAS?  

    I thrive in environments that encourage innovative, interdisciplinary work. What excites me most about the CLAS environment is the support—whether it be through funding opportunities, faculty workshops, social media announcements of new research, or professional development awards—to do just that.  

    What are your hobbies and pursuits outside of work?  

    I love to travel, hike, run, and be with nature. This past year, I was able to do all those hobbies at once in Yellowstone where I ran my first half marathon. It was an amazing experience! 

    Any favorite things to do in Iowa City?  

    My favorite thing about Iowa City is the trail system. I love that I can hop on a trail from my house and, depending on how I feel that day, end up in North Liberty or take a ride that connects me to City Park.  There is nothing better than a sunset ride on a hot summer night in Iowa City. 


    Elizabeth Yale is an assistant professor in the Department of History.  

    Elizabeth Yale
    Elizabeth Yale

    What is the focus of your work?  

    I study the history of science and the book in Europe—particularly Britain—from the 17th to the 19th century. These days, I’m especially interested in women’s roles in communicating and preserving scientific texts—everything from experimental notes to correspondence to books about science written for children—and the history of our understanding of human origins and evolution. 

    Tell us about the broad impact you’d like it to have.  

    As a historian of science, I hope that my work helps people to develop critical appreciation for science as a human endeavor. Understanding science as a human process for seeking truth about the world—with all that implies about science’s possibility and promise, but also its limitations—will help us tackle the big challenges that our society faces. If, through my research, I can contribute to building that understanding in some small way—especially among our students—I’ll be happy. 

    What excites you about the environment in CLAS? 

    There are so many opportunities for rich conversations with colleagues within and across departments, as well as across colleges (I’m also appointed in the Center for the Book, in the Graduate College). I love being able to investigate research questions from different historical perspectives and disciplinary angles. Right now, I’m also excited about finding ways to bring undergraduates into the research process. 

    What are your hobbies and pursuits outside of work?  

    Things that get me out of my own head, active with hands and feet, and spending time with family: walking in the woods and prairies, cooking and baking (and watching cooking shows), reading fiction, and making music are all mainstays. 

    Any favorite things to do in Iowa City?  

    Visiting local shops (RSVP is a favorite any time I need a birthday card) and enjoying performing arts and music—everything from plays at the Riverside Theatre, to the downtown summer jazz festival, to school band concerts. 

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The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa is a comprehensive college offering 73 majors in the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. More than 17,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by professors at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all UI undergraduates through the General Education Program, and confers about 70 percent of the UI's bachelor's degrees each academic year.