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Two CLAS professors named newest members of the National Academy of Inventors
May 14, 2024
By Charlotte Brookins
Two faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are the newest members of the National Academy of Inventors.
Professor John Prineas of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Professor Ned Bowden of the Department of Chemistry were elected to join the University of Iowa chapter.
The National Academy of Inventors is an organization made up of universities from around the globe intent on providing recognition for academic technology, innovation, and intellectual property. The UI joined its ranks with its own chapter, created in 2024 by Aliasger Salem, professor and associate vice president for research.
John Prineas, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Prineas has worked at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences since 2001. In the more than two decades since, much of his research—and the patents created from it—has revolved around semi-conductor and materials physics.
“I was very happy to be invited,” says Prineas of his invitation into the NAI. “Academic research tends to be focused on publishing rather than patents and startups. I’ve put a lot of effort into the latter, so it was great to be recognized for that.”
Using mid-infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, Prineas has created and patented light-emitting diodes, photo detectors, and laser-diodes with multi-spectral and enhanced properties.
“There’s a lot of interest in mid-infrared chemical sensors for use in medical and environmental monitoring,” Prineas adds. “They have great specificity and sensitivity.” Mid-infrared optoelectronic devices also have key importance for imaging, lighting, and projection in security and defense.
Prineas hopes to commercialize his patents in gaseous and molecular sensing, as well as other applications.
Ned Bowden, Department of Chemistry
Bowden was invited to join the Iowa NAI as a result of his agricultural start-up, which involves the development and commercialization of a sulfur-based fertilizer known as SUPRGrow.
“I was very honored to receive the invitation,” says Bowden, who has worked at CLAS for 22 years. “Being an entrepreneur and creating a start-up company is a lot of work, so it’s nice to get recognition.”
Bowden’s inspiration for his company comes from the research he conducted that first resulted in the specialized fertilizer back in 2017. Supplemented by a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Bowden developed this idea alongside business partner Mike Saunders.
“After the grant ended in 2022, Mike and I created the startup company Harvest Increase Agriculture, LLC, or HI Ag,” Bowden adds. “HI Ag was launched to commercialize SUPRGrow, which has gone through four strong years of field trial results. We are working to get it in the hands of as many farmers as possible.”
Both Prineas and Bowden wish to express their gratitude for CLAS, crediting its dedication to research as a major help with their work.
“Conducting research requires a lot of specialized equipment, and the college has provided lots of resources and support in that area,” says Prineas. “I think it’s so great that the university has created an atmosphere to support entrepreneurship.”
Bowden is also excited about the future of the college’s involvement in entrepreneurship, saying, “We have a lot of potential here at Iowa for startups that impact the state. I’m looking forward to seeing how the NAI can propel us to be better entrepreneurs on campus.”
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CLAS staff members recognized for outstanding contributions
May 14, 2024
By Charlotte Brookins
Several staff members from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recently received university-wide recognition and awards for their impactful and important work.
Margolis and Mineart receive Iowa Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award
Two CLAS staff members were recognized with this year’s Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award.
Amy Margolis, director of the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, and Heather R. Mineart, departmental administrator of physics and astronomy, were among two of the six recipients.
This award recognizes staff members and colleagues from Iowa’s state institutions whose accomplishments have significantly benefited the university and the state of Iowa.
Margolis has been involved with the ISWF since 1990, helping the historic writing festival attract writers from all 50 states and across the world to the Iowa City area. She has played a major role in the festival’s growth over the years, allowing it to flourish even during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mineart oversees complex budgets and building renovations; facilitates interactions between staff, facilities, external subcontractors, and outside clients; and has been essential in the execution of the $162.5 million TRACERS Small Mission Explorer grant through NASA. She has also served on several university and collegiate committees and councils.
Allen, Brustkern, Crull, and Dvorsky receive University of Iowa Outstanding Staff Award
Two-thirds of this year’s University of Iowa Outstanding Staff awardees were from CLAS.
Kate Allen, School of Art and Art History; Kaila Brustkern, Department of Health and Human Physiology; George Crull, Department of Chemistry; and Richard Dvorsky, Department of Physics and Astronomy each received the award.
This award seeks to honor staff whose accomplishments have made significant contributions to the university.
Allen is an instructional service specialist for the photography and 3D design areas in the School of Art and Art History. She plays a crucial part in addressing the technological needs of students, such as dedicating time to mastering tools for the 3D Design discipline and restructuring the 3D Design BFA studio.
Brustkern is a research assistant in the Microvascular Physiology Lab in the Department of Health and Human Physiology. She has been an integral part of the lab’s success by assisting with the successful completion of three internal research grants, the publication of four high-impact, peer-reviewed research papers, and the acquisition of three competitive extramural research grants.
Crull is the staff scientist and assistant director of the Department of Chemistry’s Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Center. Crull interacts with many academic and research units at Iowa and the community, including commercial enterprises. He has made extraordinary contributions to the maintenance of NMR instruments on campus and to the use of NMR instrumentation by many students and postdocs in laboratory research.
Dvorsky, who is an aerospace principal engineer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has contributed to many of Iowa’s high-profile space-flight projects, including NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission and the NASA Magnetosphere Multi-Scale mission. As an engineer on the TRACERS mission, he leads the team in technical design, testing, risk management, and more.
Korthank receives Mental Health Champion Award
Amy Korthank, senior associate director of academic support in CLAS, is one of four recipients of this year’s Mental Health Champion Award, which celebrates outstanding members of the UI community who help create and bolster a positive mental health and well-being culture.
The award also celebrates honorees’ dedication to advancing “Campus Mental Health” within Iowa’s Strategic Plan.
Korthank, who has worked at the University of Iowa for 25 years, is well-known for her passionate advocacy of mental health and well-being throughout campus.
In her role, Korthank provides people going through difficult academic situations with empathy and guidance. She has helped create a campus culture where students, staff, and faculty feel empowered to seek help and to openly share their struggles.
In 2022, she created the Undergraduate Student Academic Concern Form, which allows instructors to report concerns they have about students’ welfare. The goal of the form is to streamline connections between students, instructors, and the mental health resources with the power to help them.
“She goes above and beyond her role of academic support to ensure that students who are struggling with mental health challenges are provided with the resources they need,” said Cornelia Lang, associate dean for undergraduate education.
Torno receives Lola Lopes Award for Undergraduate Student Advocacy
Kate Torno, senior academic advisor in the Department of English, was one of two recipients of the Lola Lopes Award for Undergraduate Student Advocacy.
The award is presented yearly, honoring administrators, staff, or faculty who act as strong advocates for undergraduate students outside their teaching role. Recipients each receive a $1,000 honorarium and a certificate, and their names will be added to a plaque displayed in the admission visitors center.
Torno has advised thousands of undergraduates during her time with the department. She is known for her comprehensive approach to advising, helping students get the most out of their college experience from the time they set foot on campus as prospective students through their undergraduate careers and into their journey as alumni.
Torno was instrumental in launching the English and Creative Writing major, now the most popular major in the department.
In addition to serving her advisees, her advocacy for student-focused curricular and community-building initiatives has impacted all students in the department and beyond. A recent example is her effort that led to opening the “Literary Loft” a welcoming community space for English undergraduates. In fall 2022, she launched community-building book clubs and writing groups for new students in the major.
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CLAS assistant professor receives prestigious awards from American Physiology Society
May 13, 2024
By Charlotte Brookins
Less than six months after receiving a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, assistant professor Nate Jenkins has again been recognized for his considerable research, this time by two different awards from the American Physiological Society.
“I was really floored and honored,” says Jenkins, a faculty member in the Department of Health and Human Physiology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, on his dual recognitions. “I honestly didn’t think I had a shot.”
The first of the awards Jenkins received was the Shih-Chung Wang Young Investigator Award, which is presented to a member of outstanding promise in the field of physiology early in their career. In addition to attending that year’s American Physiology Summit, the recipient receives $10,000 to be put toward their research, as well as a certificate presented at the APS Awards Meeting. The award is also listed on the American Association of Universities’ National Research Council List of Highly Prestigious Awards.
The research that earned Jenkins this award revolves around the effects of lifestyle behaviors on physiology, specifically regarding cardiovascular health.
“I look at the effects of exercise, stress, and sleep on cardiovascular physiology and how these interact to contribute to long-term cardiovascular risk, particularly in at-risk populations,” Jenkins explains. “Over the past five years, our primary focus has been in how early life psychosocial stress promotes cardiovascular disease and understanding biologically relevant biobehavioral mechanisms.”
In addition to the Wang Young Investigator Award, Jenkins also received the APS’s Environmental and Exercise Physiology New Investigator Award. Like the previous honor, the EEP New Investigator Award recognizes a researcher in the APS’s EEP section early in their career whose work has made significant contributions to the EEP community.
Jenkins credits the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, its strong connections to the hospital and clinical resources, and being surrounded by excellent and supportive colleagues for his success, as well as the support they have demonstrated during the growth of his career in health and human physiology.
“There are a ton of people who make things like this possible, including students, research staff, and colleagues who have supported me in various ways,” says Jenkins. “I’d also like to thank my wife and two kids, who are incredibly supportive and my biggest cheerleaders. These awards may be given to an individual, but it truly takes an army.
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Congrats to the Class of 2024: Commencement photos and wrap up
May 13, 2024
More than 2,300 undergraduate students graduated from the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on Saturday, May 11. It was a joyous celebration for students and their loved ones.
Check out some of the photos highlights from CLAS ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Highlights included remarks from two outstanding students, performances by two talented vocalists, and the conferring of two honorary degrees.
To our graduates — please keep in touch. The best way to do this is to update the alumni database to include your non-uiowa email address. Please update your email!
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CLAS faculty receive prestigious honors to further research and creative projects
May 13, 2024
Faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are receiving national recognition for their innovative research and creative projects through various distinguished honors.
Kaveh Akbar of the Department of English and Jamel Brinkley of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop were among those selected for the 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship, while Writers’ Workshop director Lan Samantha Chang is one of eight individuals who received an Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Chang was also named a 2024 MacDowell Fellow.
Bob McMurray of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Loyce Arthur of the Department of Theatre Arts and Carolyn Hartley of the School of Social Work were selected as Fulbright Scholars for the 2024-25 academic year.
Akbar and Brinkley receive prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship
Two CLAS faculty are among those selected for the 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship.
Kaveh Akbar, associate professor and director of the undergraduate English and creative writing major, and Jamel Brinkley, assistant professor in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, are among the 188 recipients across 52 disciplines. This year’s fellows were selected from a pool of nearly 3,000 applicants.
Brinkley’s fellowship is under the fiction discipline, and Akbar’s is in the poetry discipline. The fellowship provides six to 12 months’ funding for artists, scholars, and writers to pursue creative projects.
Akbar expressed how grateful he is for the creative freedom from the fellowship and already has a few projects in motion. Brinkley added how it’s an honor to be named a fellow, and he plans to work on a novel and new short stories.
“There’s nowhere in America with a greater density of literary talent than in Iowa City,” Akbar said. “There’s nowhere in America with a greater density of literary programming. It’s like Narnia for writers.”
Chang receives award from American Academy of Arts and Letters and is named 2024 MacDowell Fellow
Iowa Writers’ Workshop Director Lan Samantha Chang is one of eight individuals who received an Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Chang will receive $10,000 to honor and encourage her creative work.
“For me, it’s a tremendous honor to be granted one of those prizes, because it’s a sign of confidence from the American writing establishment,” Chang says.
“I spend a lot of my job trying to encourage people’s creative work, and there’s something kind of wonderful being on the receiving end of encouragement at this point. I feel lucky at this time in my life to have that encouragement to produce more work.”
Chang was also named a 2024 MacDowell Fellow. She is among 155 artists selected from a pool of 2,417 applications for the spring-summer 2024 fellowship. Fellows will have residencies at the MacDowell campus in Peterborough, New Hampshire, where they will have time and space to create in more than 30 artists’ studios.
“I can say I’ve always done a lot of strong work at MacDowell,” Chang said. “They make it possible for people to focus in a way that is unusual, even for a residency.”
McMurray named American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellow
Bob McMurray, F. Wendell Miller Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, was named a 2023 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The AAAS is the world’s largest general-scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. McMurray is one of four University of Iowa faculty members named to the fellow class.
“The AAAS fellowship is one of the most prestigious forms of recognition in the academic community,” McMurray said. “I see dozens of names of scientists and scholars on this year’s list that I've admired since I was an undergraduate. It is humbling to be included among them and to be recognized by my peers in the field for the work we are doing.”
McMurray was elected for “distinguished contributions to the psycholinguistics of speech perception, spoken word recognition, and reading, including the development of these abilities across the lifespan and in typical and atypical populations.”
For the past decade, McMurray has been at the forefront of applying the tools and theories of cognitive science to understand word recognition and language processing in different types of people. His lab has current studies tracking how children recognize and learn words, and how word recognition changes as people age. His team also has partnered with researchers in UI Health Care.
Arthur and Hartley named Fulbright Scholars
Two CLAS faculty were selected as Fulbright Scholars for the 2024-25 academic year.
Loyce Arthur, associate professor of design in the UI Department of Theatre Arts, and Carolyn Hartley, associate professor in the School of Social Work, are among 800 U.S. citizens who will conduct research or teach abroad.
Fulbright scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions.
Arthur’s fellowship will be carried out in spring 2025 at the Indonesian Institute of Arts Denpasar in Bali, where she’ll teach costume design for theatre and study Balinese performance costumes.
“After a few short research and pleasure trips to Bali, I look forward to this longer-term opportunity to collaborate with students and faculty, to meet as many artisans as possible who create these works of art, and to assist Balinese scholars to bring knowledge of the artistry of these costumes to Western audiences,” Arthur said.
After her return, Arthur hopes to develop a mask theater piece around the theme of climate change and to bring it to campus in 2025-26.
For her Fulbright project, Hartley will collaborate with state and NGO agencies and University of Prishtina professors in Kosovo, where she’ll conduct a needs assessment to inform training for domestic violence service providers and legal professionals.
Hartley is motivated by the ways her research will support Kosovo's Ministry of Justice in strengthening capacities to address violence against women as part of their national strategy.
“Using knowledge gained from my research, I have provided extensive professional training and consultation to victim service providers in the state of Iowa as the academic partner and lead faculty trainer for the Iowa Victim Assistance Academy," Hartley said. "I am excited to bring my experience in conducting needs assessments and designing training curricula to Kosovo.”
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CLAS history faculty member awarded NEH grant
May 13, 2024
By Izabela Zaluska
Alyssa Park, an associate professor in the Department of History in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, received a $6,000 Summer Stipend from the National Endowment for the Humanities to further her current research project about population displacement in Korea after World War II.
Park is working on a book called Homeward: Korean Refugees and the Politics of Occupation, Division, and War, 1945-50, which explores how and why 2 million Koreans outside Korea “returned” to their homeland after the war and became known as refugees in their own country. Park added how in August 1945 at least one in seven Koreans was located outside Korea.
Park became interested in the broader story of human displacement and refugees after World War II. She wondered why this history was widely known for Europe but “constituted only a footnote in postwar histories of Asia.”
The concept of “postwar” is ambiguous for this period in Asia, Park said. In Korea, August 1945 marked Japan’s defeat and the end of Japan’s colonial rule. However, it also marked Korea’s division into two zones—occupation by the Soviet Union and the U.S.—and the beginnings of a civil war that culminated in the outbreak of a global war in 1950, Park explained.
“My research into Korean ‘refugees’ is a window into understanding the complexities of this interregnum,” Park said.
The NEH stipend will allow Park to conduct important research about the Soviet perspective and learn more about the occupation of North Korea and postwar diplomacy. Park will travel to South Korea next summer to work at the National Institute of History, which has collected materials from the Soviet archives.
Park, who joined the University of Iowa in 2011, said her colleagues in the history department are “unparalleled in their support and comradery.”
In her work, Park seeks to understand how border-crossing people negotiate their place between different societies and governing bodies, as well as how states attempt to exert power over these people. She focuses her research on Korea and northeast Asia, including Russia, China, and Japan.
“I’m also incredibly appreciative of the support of CLAS, the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, International Programs, and the university,” Park added. “My research is international and would be impossible to carry out without their support.”
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CLAS spring 2024 commencement details
May 03, 2024
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Two accomplished alumni will receive honorary degrees during CLAS commencements
May 03, 2024
Two accomplished Iowa graduates will be recognized with honorary degrees during University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
During the 9 a.m. ceremony, William "Bill" Decker will receive an Honorary Doctor of Science. Decker was instrumental in developing technology infrastructure both at the University of Iowa and on the national level.
At the 1 p.m. ceremony, Charles Ray will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Ray is recognized globally as one of the preeminent contemporary sculptors.
Meet William Decker
Decker, a native Iowan, received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Iowa in 1966. He became one of the university’s first graduate students in the computer science department and graduated in 1968 with a master’s degree.
After graduation, Decker began working at the University Computer Center—later renamed the Weeg Computing Center—and eventually became assistant director. He then joined the Department of Computer Science in 1978 as an instructor and research scientist in the then-new Computer Science Research Laboratory. He managed the laboratory’s staff, researched computing support for the statistics and mathematics departments, and helped develop the computer science department’s curriculum.
In 1993, Decker became associate vice president for research and director of Information Technology Services. In the role, he began to receive national attention as a leader in internet infrastructure development and helped build the foundation of the university’s current ITS department.
“The people with whom I have worked, the students I’ve taught, and the extraordinary intellectual stimulation that has been a part of projects, responsibilities, and activities here at Iowa have all made my life very rich and enjoyable,” Decker says.
The recognition of his leadership in internet infrastructure at Iowa led Decker to the National Science Foundation, where he served as program director for Advanced Networking Infrastructure within the foundation’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate from 1998 to 2000. He managed a $43 million grant portfolio for projects researching and developing internet infrastructure.
Read his story
Meet Charles Ray
Ray, who was born in the Chicago area, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Iowa in 1975.
“I came to Iowa because I wanted to become an artist,” Ray says. “I had always drawn when I was a kid. Iowa admissions must have seen some potential and my ambition. It was really four years of extremely positive experiences. The art and art history department was just fantastic. Some of the work that I did at Iowa remains among some of the best work that I’ve done in my life.”
After his time at Iowa, Ray earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 1979. He joined the faculty of the University of California-Los Angeles, where he is now a professor emeritus, in 1981.
Ray’s work has been internationally renowned for more than 50 years. His peers say Ray has a vast knowledge of art history, and his work shows historical influence through a contemporary lens. Ray and the team in his studio, which is based in California, can spend years on a piece.
“This honorary degree means a lot, because Iowa means so much to me,” Ray says. “Nearly 50 years after I graduated, to be able to just say a few words and be part of this ceremony with the young people graduating now, I think it’s really terrific.”
Read his story
For more information about University of Iowa commencement, visit commencement.uiowa.edu.
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Meet the spring 2024 CLAS commencement singers
May 03, 2024
By Charlotte Brookins
Graduates in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will enjoy vocal performances from peers with the singing of the National Anthem during two undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Samantha Martin will perform during the 9 a.m. ceremony, and Brandon Burkhardt during the 1 p.m. ceremony.
Meet the morning singer: Samantha Martin
Samantha Martin, of Polk City, Iowa, is graduating with a degree in vocal performance on the pre-med track and will be singing the National Anthem during the 9 a.m. commencement ceremony.
“I’ve wanted to go to the University of Iowa since I decided to go into medicine,” says Martin. “I knew it was one of the best schools for medicine, and it was also in my home state, so I got to stay close to my family.”
During her time at Iowa, Martin has been involved in a variety of university activities, including opera, volunteering at the hospital’s emergency department, and working as a lab assistant at the Molecular Otolaryngology and Renal Research Lab through University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Post-graduation, Martin hopes to pursue a career as a doctor while also continuing to sing in her free time. She has a piece of advice for anyone reading her story:
“Never turn down the chance to do the thing you love.”
Meet the afternoon singer: Brandon Burkhardt
Brandon Burkhardt, from Coralville, Iowa, is graduating with a degree in vocal performance, music education, and musical theatre. He’ll have the chance to show off his singing abilities at the 1 p.m. CLAS commencement ceremony.
“I am so thrilled that I chose Iowa because they provided me with so many amazing opportunities while I was here,” Burkhardt says. “I’ve had the chance to study all of my passions and graduate with three different majors.”
Burkhardt is deeply immersed in the world of fine arts at Iowa. In addition to leading the trumpet section of Hawkeye Marching Band, he was also a member of the premier choral ensemble Kantorei and starred in a variety of university productions.
“My favorite roles at the university have been Nick Bottom in Something Rotten, Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore, and the soldier in Sunday in the Park with George,” says Burkhardt. “I would love to perform musical theatre right after college, but then move back to the area to teach music.”
Burkhardt reflects on his time at Iowa and the myriad of people who played a part in his educational journey, saying they have played an instrumental role in guiding his future.
“I am so grateful to every professor that I have had at Iowa for pushing me to grow as a musician, performer, educator, and student,” Burkhardt says. “Wherever my path takes me, I know I will continue to be involved in music every day of my life and will be thrilled for every opportunity I am given.”
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Meet the spring 2024 CLAS commencement speakers
May 03, 2024
By Izabela Zaluska
More than 2,300 undergraduate students will receive their degrees from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences this spring. During commencement ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, graduates will receive a message from a fellow student.
Meet the morning speaker: Preksha Kedilaya
Preksha Kedilaya, of Bettendorf, Iowa, will speak at the 9 a.m. ceremony. She will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences and a minor in gender health and healthcare equity. Kedilaya is graduating with honors and distinction.
Kedilaya worked as a research assistant in professor Adrian Elcock’s lab through the biochemistry and molecular biology department in the Carver College of Medicine and said the experience was “monumental” for her growth. Additionally, Kedilaya was a certified nursing aide at Oaknoll, a retirement community in Iowa City, which reinforced her desire to pursue a career in health care.
She was also president of Iowa Agni A Cappella, as well as peer educator and volunteer at the Women’s Resource Action Center.
“The University of Iowa offered many opportunities that aligned with my interests, especially regarding medicine, music, and diversity,” Kedilaya said. “I was able to find long-lasting communities that fit these interests, and I am very happy with my decision to study at Iowa.”
Kedilaya chose to major in biomedical sciences because of her desire to pursue a career in health care. Minoring in gender, health, and healthcare equity allowed Kedilaya to “explore my own bias and gain a deeper understanding of the inclusivity and compassion I want to hold as a future healthcare provider.”
“It takes a special type of person to enjoy working in healthcare, and I realized very quickly that I thrived in that environment,” Kedilaya said.
The college also gave her opportunities to learn and grow personally and academically, she said. The supportive faculty, mentors, and advisors especially stood out during her experience in CLAS.
During her address, Kedilaya will focus on the upcoming journey graduates are preparing to embark on.
“I want students to understand that their entire future is at their fingertips,” Kedilaya said. “They should lean into that and create the world that they want to live in.”
As for her plans after graduation, Kedilaya will begin the physician assistant program at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse through the Mayo Clinic in June.
Meet the afternoon speaker: Hope Hjelmeland
Hope Hjelmeland, of Humboldt, Iowa, will speak at the 1 p.m. ceremony. She will receive a Bachelor of Arts in economics and public policy and ethics, as well as a minor in gender, women’s, and sexuality studies. Hjelmeland is graduating with highest distinction.
Hjelmeland was ecstatic to receive a full-ride scholarship to the University of Iowa from the Bright Foundation as a Bright Scholar.
“I knew Iowa had great writing and business programs, which would allow me to explore many options in college as an open major,” Hjelmeland said.
She decided to study public policy and ethics to sharpen her critical thinking, writing, and logic skills, which are key to pursuing a legal education. After taking a couple of economics classes, Hjelmeland added a second major to her coursework.
Hjelmeland worked as a victory congressional intern in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as a financial representative intern at a Fortune 100 company. During her time at Iowa, she also created a student organization geared towards Bright Scholars and other first-generation students.
Hjelmeland was recently awarded the Outstanding Leadership in Economics award and the Frank Knight Award from the Department of Economics in the Tipple College of Business after four faculty nominated her.
"I have built life-long connections with professors who have supported me and invited me to various professional and academic events, including alumni dinners and talks with visiting researchers,” Hjelmeland said.
During her address, Hjelmeland will talk about her experience in Iowa and encourage her peers to take the leap and do things that might scare them.
After graduation, Hjelmeland will begin applying to law schools in the fall. She will spend the summer studying for the LSAT and enjoying her last few months in Iowa City. In her gap year before law school, Hjelmeland will use the time to build professional and volunteer experiences.
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