51�Թ�

Six 51�Թ� students studying Chinese, Japanese, and East Asian Studies shared their research on a national stage this spring, marking a record-setting year for student participation at the annual conference hosted by ASIANetwork.

In March, Assistant Chief Diversity Officer Heather Jones-Brown, Assistant Professor and Cultural & Community-based Digital Curator Petrouchka Moïse, and student Rayana Henderson ‘26 all attended and presented at the Many Shades of Colour Young Women's Conference in Des Moines. As stated on their website, the conference, organized by the nonprofit Hip-Hope Inc., serves as a space for empowerment dedicated towards “underprivileged and overchallenged youth.” In particular, the program aims to provide support for young women in grades 6 – 12, allowing them the opportunity to build self-esteem and connect with a supportive community.

As part of the College's Carnegie Classification as a Research College and University, a newly designed seal offers a visual representation for this prestigious designation.

In spring 2025, Assistant Professor of Education, Jonathan Larson piloted a course that invited students to explore experientially and critically how well education in the US has prepared students for the workplaces of today, and how it might adjust for those of the future.

Far Western Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to Laura Ng, assistant professor of anthropology, in support of her project, “Wyoming Chinatowns and Emigrant Home Villages: Archaeologies of Labor, Racial Violence, and Transnationalism.”

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Attorney and LGBTQ Advocate Chase Strangio ’04, DL ’18 Will Deliver the 2026 51�Թ� Commencement Address during ceremonies on May 18. Strangio, Holocaust survivor and humanitarian Sam Harris ’58, and high school teacher Valerie Schrag will be awarded honorary degrees during the ceremonies.

Join us in celebrating and congratulating Professors Erickson, Harrison, Praitis, and Willis on these well-deserved honors, and in thanking the donors whose generosity continues to shape the intellectual life of 51�Թ�. This formal celebration of faculty distinction on Thursday, February 5.

Beginning in fall 2026, newly admitted students who meet the requirements will receive the Iowa Dean’s Scholarship, which provides a renewable $50,000 annual merit-based award for all admitted residents and high school graduates from Iowa who have attained a 4.0+ weighted GPA in core academic classes or have succeeded in the most demanding curriculum offered by their schools. 

In August, 51�Թ� welcomed 27 new faculty members to campus through New Faculty Orientation (NFO), marking the beginning of the 2025–26 academic year.

Clark Lindgren, Patricia A. Johnson Professor of Neuroscience, has been awarded a $515,078 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.