News

headshots of Casey Deroo and Donika Kelly

Two CLAS faculty receive Iowa Mid-Career Faculty Scholar Awards

Monday, March 9, 2026
Casey DeRoo, associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Donika Kelly, associate professor, Department of English, received the award. Awardees receive $25,000 per year for three years to support their scholarly activities, along with mentorship and guidance on their career development plan.
Headshot of Brian Ekdale, professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication

CLAS professor awarded CSSI Faculty Research Fellowship

Monday, March 9, 2026
The University of Iowa’s Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) has selected Brian Ekdale, professor of journalism and mass communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as its next CSSI Faculty Research Fellow.
CLAS advisor, Anna Gaw, is smiles as she's seated across from a student advisee

Not sure where to turn? CLAS Advising can help

Monday, March 9, 2026
Academic advisors work with students, faculty, departments, colleges, and partners across campus to support your success. Your advisor will give you expert guidance and advice tailored to your department and major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
headshot of Cathy Sung

UI professor awarded funding to investigate strategies to prevent hearing loss from anti-cancer drug

Monday, March 2, 2026
Cathy Yea Won Sung, assistant professor in the Department of Biology, is the lead investigator on the project. She will aim to prevent permanent hearing loss caused by the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. Although highly effective at killing cancer cells, cisplatin can also damage healthy cells. This includes mechanosensory hair cells in the cochlea, which convert sound vibrations into electrical signals the brain can interpret. Once these hair cells die, they do not regenerate, leading to permanent hearing loss.
Logo: "Fulbright Top-Producer"

UI named Fulbright Top Producing Institution for 10th year

Monday, March 2, 2026
The University of Iowa has again been named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution among doctoral institutions for the U.S. Student Program. This is the 10th year Iowa has earned this prestigious honor from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
headshot of researchers Leddy and Bowden

UI researchers win funding to develop polymers that conduct electricity for future technology

Monday, March 2, 2026
Bowden’s research group will focus on designing and synthesizing sulfur and nitrogen-based polymers. Some of those combinations will be tested further as structures composed of more than 98% sulfur and nitrogen, which could yield better control over their chemical and physical properties.
teresa treat

Meet the researcher who bridges psychological disciplines to support safer college campus environments

Friday, February 27, 2026
Teresa Treat, professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, uses her multidisciplinary expertise to research ways to reduce harm in college settings.
Jan Wessel sits in front of a whiteboard with scrawled notation

Big questions, complex brains: how one psychological and brain sciences faculty member seeks to understand what makes us human

Friday, February 27, 2026
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor Jan Wessel has always been fascinated by the brain and how humans think. Now, he conducts his research in a collaborative approach unlike any other.
IPR's River to River (headshot of Isabel Muzzio in lower right corner)

The art of camouflage: CLAS' Isabel Muzzio featured on IPR

Thursday, February 26, 2026
What you see isn't always what's there. Camouflage can make many physical objects invisible, but what about thoughts and ideas? CLAS' Isabel Muzzio shares her research in this podcast.
a headshot of John Manak, a Professor in the Department of Biology

John Manak awarded grant to study intellectual disabilities

University of Iowa and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences biology professor John Manak received a Summer 2026 Interdisciplinary Research Grant from the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies to study Intellectual disability (ID). ID is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant limitations in learning, memory, and problem-solving as well as social interaction and communication. Using health databases and fruit fly genetic approaches, Dr. Manak will work with Dr. Benjamin Darbro from the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics to identify genes associated with ID. The project will be funded by a Laura Spelman Rockefeller grant.