CLAS RESEARCH RESOURCE
May 2022 Student Research Focus
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Welcome to our final CLAS Research Resource newsletter of the Spring 2022 semester!
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The end of an academic year is always bittersweet: as we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating students, we know also that we must let them go, out into the working world or on to graduate, law, and medical schools to write the next chapter of their lives. This year is particularly poignant for me, as I will be on the commencement stage as my own eldest child, a history major here in CLAS, walks across it. Three former research students in my laboratory are also moving on, one to medical school here at the Carver College of Medicine, one to a top-ranked M.D./ Ph.D. program at the Washington University School of Medicine, and one to a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Let us hope that all of our CLAS students know how proud we are of their accomplishments, some of which you’ll read about herein. I hope you enjoy it and find it inspiring. My best wishes for a summer that allows you time both to rest and recharge and to pursue your research, scholarship, and creative activity with renewed vigor. As always, do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of help.
Our May newsletter again focuses primarily on our wonderful CLAS undergraduate and graduate students. In this issue, you’ll read about their awards and achievements, meet several of them up-close, and get just a sampling of their fascinating research, innovative scholarship,
and vibrant creative activity. In featuring the work of our students, we also gratefully acknowledge their faculty and staff mentors, who dedicate so much of their time and passion to passing along the wisdom that they have gained through long experience. I was fortunate this year to participate in the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Academic Leadership Program. This is a chance for Big Ten leaders, and those who aspire to leadership positions, to come together monthly for networking, useful discussions about best practices, and presentations by outstanding speakers who share the insights they have accumulated over their careers in academia. At the final meeting of the year, held at the Big Ten Conference Center outside of Chicago, I was struck by a comment made by Dale Wright, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement at the University of Illinois. He reminded us never to make it seem like “but for us, students would be nowhere.” Rather (and I fully endorse this sentiment) students help drive our excellence as an institution; they are absolutely crucial to our success and to our status as a major R1 university dedicated to the creation of new knowledge.
JoshuaWeiner Associate Dean for Research Professor of Biology College of Liberal Arts and Sciences joshua-weiner@uiowa.edu
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UPCOMING GRANT AND FELLOWSHIP DEADLINES June, July and August 2022 UI Internal Programs 6/1/22 | OVPR Interdisciplinary Research Scholars Climate- Environment-Health Nexus 6/1/22 | International Programs: Global Curriculum Development Award
6/8/22 | Publishing Historical Records in Collaborative Digital Editions
6/8/22 | NHPRC-Mellon Planning Grants for Collaborative Digital Editions in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American History and Ethnic Studies 6/8/22 | State Board Programming Grants Institute of Museum and Library Services 6/24/22 | Digital Humanities Advancement Grants National Institutes of Health
6/6/22 | Diabetes and Obesity Research Pilot and Feasibility Projects: Seed Grants, Catalyst Grants (Letter of Intent) 6/15/22 | Graduate Student Senate/Graduate College: Degree-Related Travel Award and Presentation Travel/Virtual Conference Funds Rolling | International Programs: Special Projects Awards and International Travel Awards UI Limited Submission Programs 6/1/22 | Keck Foundation Grant Program Fall 222 6/2/22 | NSF: CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) 6/6/22 | Mallinckrodt Foundation Grant Program 222 6/27/22 | NEH Summer Stipends 223 7/20/22 | NSF: National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program (NRT) National Endowment for the Arts 7/7/22 | Grants for Art Projects 8/4/22 | Our Town Program National Endowment for the Humanities All Grant Program Opportunities 6/8/22 | Digital Projects for the Public 6/24/22 | Digital Humanities Advancement Grant 7/15/22 | Fellowships Open Book Program 7/19/22 | Humanities Collections and Reference Resources 8/10/22 | Public Humanities Projects 8/10/22 | Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions 8/10/22 | Media Projects National Archives 6/8/22 | Major Collaborative Archival Initiatives 6/8/22 | Archives Collaboratives
Complete list of standard due dates 6/5/22 | Research Grants (R1 | new)
6/12/22 | Research Career Development (K Series | new) 6/16/22 | Other Research Grants (R3, R21, R33, R21/33, R34, R36 | new only) 6/25/22 | Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15 | all) 7/5/22 | Research Grants (R1-renewal, resubmission, revision) 7/12/22 | Research Career Development (K Series-renewal, resubmission, revision) 7/16/22 - Other Research Grants (R3, R21, R33, R21/33, R34, R36 | renewal, resubmission, revision) 8/8/22 | Individual National Research Service Awards (F Series | all) 8/12/22 | Conference Grants and Conference Cooperative Agreements (R13, U13 | all) National Science Foundation Active Funding Opportunities (several deadlines each month; selected programs below) 6/2/22 | Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) (Letter of Intent) 6/7/22 | Research Training Groups in the Mathematical Sciences (RTG) 6/15/22 | Perception, Action & Cognition (PAC) 6/15/22 | Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) 6/21/22 | Spectrum Innovation Initiative: National Radio Dynamic Zones (SII-NRDZ) 6/23/22 | CISE Community Research Infrastructure (CCRI) 6/27/22 | Campus Cyberinfrastructure (CC*) 6/27/22 | Cybersecurity Innovation for
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Cyberinfrastructure (CICI) 7/1/22 | Archaeology and Archaeometry 7/1/22 | Leading Culture Change Through Professional Societies of Biology (BIO-LEAPS) 7/13/22 | Science of Learning and Augmented Intelligence 7/14/22 | Human Networks and Data Science (HNDS) 7/15/22 | Dynamic Language Infrastructure- Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DLI-DDRI) 7/15/22 | Developmental Sciences (DS) 7/15/22 | Social Psychology 7/15/22 | Linguistics Program - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (Ling-DDRI) 7/15/22 | Linguistics 7/18/22 | NSF-Simons Collaboration on a National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology (NITMB) 7/20/22 | Biological Anthropology 7/20/22 | Biological Anthropology Program - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (BA-DDRIG) 7/20/22 | Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) 7/27/22 | Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) 7/29/22 | Disrupting Operations of Illicit Supply Networks (D-ISN) 8/1/22 | Law & Science (LS) 8/2/22 | Mathematical Sciences Infrastructure Program 8/3/22 | Science and Technology Studies (STS) 8/13/22 | Cognitive Neuroscience (CogNeuro) 8/15/22 | Cultural Anthropology Program - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (CA-DDRIG) 8/15/22 | Cultural Anthropology Program Senior Research Awards (CA-SR) 8/15/22 | Sociology 8/16/22 | Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) 8/18/22 | Economics 8/24/22 | Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) 8/25/22 | Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS)
US Department of Energy 6/20/22 | Deploying Solar with Wildlife and Ecosystem Services Benefits (SolWEB) 7/18/22 | Cooperative Agreement to Facilitate Coordination Between DOE- NE and Energy Communities, Vital Constituencies, and Educational Groups US Department of Justice 6/3/22 | NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on Policing 6/3/22 | NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on Violent Crime and Firearm Violence in the Community 6/21/22 | NIJ FY22 Evaluation of OJP Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) Projects US Department of Housing and Urban Development 6/30/22 | Office of Policy Development and Research Unsolicited Research Proposals US Department of Defense Various | FY22 Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) 6/10/22 | DARPA Defense Sciences Office Office-wide Agency Announcement 7/15/22 | DOD Quantum Computing in the Solid State with Spin and Superconducting Systems (QC-S5) (Letter of Intent) Various | Research Interests of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Rolling | DOD Future Scholars for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics STEM Workforce Development Programs US Department of Agriculture 6/1/22 | 222 Conservation Innovation Grants State Program 6/6/22 | FY 222 Scientific Exchanges Program 6/6/22 | FY 222 Scientific Cooperation Research Program Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 6/24/22 | Research in Transforming Health and Healthcare Systems Rolling | Evidence for Action: Innovative Research to Advance Racial Equity Rolling | Pioneering Ideas: Exploring the Future to Build a Culture of Health
Foundation for Child Development 6/9/22 | Young Scholars Program (Letter of Intent) Iowa Arts Council 8/1/22 | Artist Catalyst Grant
8/1/22 | Creative Places Project Grant 8/1/22 | School Arts Experience Grant William T. Grant Foundation 7/6/22 | Scholars Program
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FEATURED FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS The American Council of Learned Societies offers
The National Science Foundation offers two major opportunities for graduate students. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program is open to students in research-based Master’s or doctoral programs in the natural sciences, mathematical sciences, social sciences and STEM education & learning. Fellows receive three years of support including a living stipend and education allowance. The application deadline falls in October annually. The Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants support dissertation research by doctoral students pursuing projects that enhance basic scientific knowledge in one of NSF’s disciplines. Deadlines and application instructions vary by discipline. The National Institutes of Health Student Programs include the Ruth Kirschstein National Service Awards (F30/F31) that support promising predoctoral students conducting dissertation research, students enrolled in dual degree programs, and/or students from underrepresented backgrounds. NIH also offers a Dissertation Award (R36) to support dissertation research costs for students in accredited research doctoral programs in the United States. NIH holds three competitions each year and deadlines can be found on NIH’s Standard Due Dates site. The Ford Foundation Fellowship Program offers two major awards for graduate students who are committed to post- secondary teaching careers and will use diversity as a resource to enrich students’ education. The Predoctoral Fellowship provides three years of stipend support for students that have at least three years remaining in the program, and the Dissertation Fellowship provides a stipend for your final dissertation completion year. The fellowships are awarded to students in a variety of disciplines and a complete list of eligible fields can be found on their website. The application deadline falls in December annually.
the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships open to advanced graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in the last year of PhD writing. Fellows will receive a living stipend and additional funds for university fees and research support. The deadline falls in October annually. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open to undergraduate juniors and seniors, graduate students, and alumni, and is designed to give students and young professionals international experience. Projects may include English Teaching Assistantships, independent research, creative project, coursework or degree programs, and training in music conservatory or art school. UI’s internal deadline falls in early September each year and you may contact UI’s Fulbright Program Advisor for additional guidance about the application process. These are just a few of the myriad of opportunities that students may pursue. For a more complete list, please see the Division of Sponsored Programs’ Grant Bulletin and the Graduate College’s pages for Internal Fellowships and External Fellowships and Grant Support.
The Grant Support Office Pre-Award team provides CLAS departments with routing applications. Recently, we have had some instances where faculty h grant or progress report submission deadline. Due to the increased volume deadlines, Pre-Award personnel require sufficient notice if they are to provid well in advance of progress report deadlines or closeouts of funded grants. Please let your Pre-Award contact know of grant submission plans as soon sponsor’s deadline is recommended for submissions with collaborating inst preparation). At least three weeks’ notice is recommended for all other subm completed 3-4 weeks in advance! All we ask is that you contact your GSO Pre process and get it in the queue. These recommendations are in place so that GSO staff can route your comp of Sponsored Programs (DSP) review deadline, which is five business days possible is greatly appreciated as it allows us to plan ahead so we can provi our best to assist you, please know that contacting us later than these reco to personnel already working at capacity . Thank you!
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assistance in compiling budgets, completing forms, and have only engaged GSO personnel a few days before a of CLAS grant submissions and the fact that many share de full service. Post-Award personnel need similar notice as possible. At least four weeks’ notice from the titutions (i.e., subawards, which complicate the budget missions. Of course, you need not have everything e-Award support to begin the budgeting and routing pleted application (or progress report) by the Division before the sponsor due date. Contacting us as early as ide better service to everyone. While we will always do ommendations may result in more limited support due
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CLAS RESEARCH AND INFRASTRUCTURE UNITS
Associate Dean for Research
CLAS Technology Services
Space, Facilities, and Equipment
Grant Support Office
Office of Sustainability and the Environment
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CLAS STUDENTS LAND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE NSF FELLOWSHIPS
Five CLAS students were recently awarded distinguished National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, along with one honorable mention. The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The five-year fellowship awards three years of stipend support for PhD programs and students can apply either prior to starting grad school in their first year of grad school. “CLAS is especially proud of the success its graduate students have had this year in competing for these prestigious fellowships,” says Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Outreach and Engagement Christine Getz. “I am continually humbled by the excellence and innovation that defines the research and creative work of CLAS’s graduate students. It is such an exciting time to be a part of graduate education in CLAS.”
CLAS Graduate Student award winners Samantha Kruse, Chemistry
Kendall Riley, Sociology
Hannah Zadeh, Sociology
HONORABLE MENTION: Andrej Corkovic, Chemistry
CLAS Undergraduate student award winners Nyah Davis, Mathematics
Lillian Jones, Chemistry
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THE BEETLEMANIA GENOME SEQUENCING PROJECT: STF FUNDS EMPOWER UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH
with “third generation”, single-molecule, long-read nanopore sequencing arrays. The course, which attracts undergraduates majoring in Biology or Environmental Sciences, is centered on a semester-long project that combines field work, molecular biology and genome sequencing, and computational analyses of genomic data. Students begin the semester by going on field trips to various wooded sites throughout Johnson County to collect beetles in the wild and then observe them in the lab. Students identify their family, genus, and species and work in teams to select the most promising beetles to sequence, focusing on those that have uniquely patterned anatomies and for which sequenced genomes are not available. Students next prepare genomic DNA and utilize Oxford Nanopore Technology’s MinION sequencing devices, which can plug directly into USB computer ports. These allow students to sequence thousands of long strands of individual DNA molecules simultaneously. In the last part of the course, students take the resulting sequence data and begin to assemble the genomes, piecing together DNA sequence in the computer to patch together intact chromosomes. Finally, students conduct phylogenetic analyses to understand and place each particular beetle species in an evolutionary framework to compare to known insect genomes. A major goal of the Evolution Laboratory is for students to be able to publish new insights into beetle genomics as authors on publications. To that end, the first manuscript from the re-imagined course, featuring the genomes of five previously- unsequenced beetle species, is being prepared for submission. Because genome assembly can be time-consuming, some undergraduates are continuing the project after the fall semester has ended. These Evolution Lab student “veterans” continue as research assistants in the Erives lab under the NSF-funded REU program. Additional plans are also underway for students in other bioinformatics and genomics courses to participate by further analyzing the student-collected genomic data. The Beetlemania project is a great example of the ways CLAS support can be leveraged to provide cutting-edge scientific education for our undergraduates. We thank Albert Erives, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, for his contributions to this article
A major goal of developmental biology is to understand how mechanisms that control body patterning are co-opted during evolution to generate diverse external features. CLAS undergraduates are getting an opportunity to tackle this outstanding question in an innovative way. Using cutting- edge technology purchased with Student Technology Fee (STF) funds, Biology undergraduates are collecting beetles and working together year-round on the “BeetleMania” genome sequencing project. Further comes from the Department of Biology and an NSF- funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) entitled “Engaging Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Evolutionary Science” (Principal Investigators: Andrew Forbes, Associate Professor of Biology and Maurine Neiman, Professor of Biology). An STF award was granted
to retool the experiential Evolutionary Laboratory course (BIOL:3676, course director Associate Professor of Biology Albert Erives)
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Elizabeth Felix
Hao Zhou
Brady Krien
Dmytro Kravchuk
Andrew Behrens
Daniel Fu
Lydia Guo
Ben Hinz
Pedro Marra
STUDENTS RECEIVE OVPR DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION AWARDS
as highly original work and makes a significant contribution to the field. Additionally, all five recipients of the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduate’s Excellence in Undergraduate Research Awards are also CLAS students either by major and/or minor: Andrew Behrens , a biomedical engineering major and chemistry minor on the pre-medicine track; Daniel Fu , a biomedical sciences major and philosophy minor on the pre-medicine track; Lydia Guo , a biomedical sciences major and chemistry minor on the pre-medicine track; Ben Hinz , a biomedical engineering major and french minor on the pre-medicine track; and Pedro Marra , a biomedical sciences major on the pre-medicine track. This award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in scholarly investigation, artistic creation, or performance by undergraduates at the UI.
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) recently recognized several CLAS students as part of their annual Discovery and Innovation Awards program which celebrates exceptional research and scholarship across the university. All four awardees of the Graduate Research Excellence Awards were from CLAS: Elizabeth Felix, Ph.D. candidate in the CLAS Department of Sociology and Criminology; Hao Zhou, M.F.A. student in the CLAS Department of Cinematic Arts; Brady Krien, Ph.D. candidate in the CLAS Department of English; and Dmytro Kravchuk, Ph.D. candidate in the CLAS Department of Chemistry. The Graduate Research Excellence Awards honor students in terminal degree programs conducting research and scholarly activity that is recognized
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CLAS DATA TEAM DELIVERS DATA DASHBOARDS FOR DELIBERATE
DECISION-MAKING To facilitate strategic, data-driven decision making in the College, we formed the CLAS Data Team in late 2020. Its members–Alex Junk (Business Intelligence Architect), Karen Noggle (Sr. Business Analyst), and Romeliza Wise (Sr. Business Intelligence Analyst), led by Hans Hoerschelman (Lead Application Developer)–began by assembling the data needed for the College’s self-study document ahead of its 2021 review. Since then, the team has been hard at work producing intuitive, visually attractive, and constantly updated data “dashboards” for leaders to use, employing the Tableau platform. Dean Sanders and her team of Associate Deans have begun utilizing these dashboards, and department-focused versions will soon be rolled out to all DEOs in the College to aid them in effective decision-making. CLAS Tableau data dashboards are grouped into projects based on the topic of interest. For example, the Grants dashboard provides 10-year trends of proposals, awards, and success rates for major sponsors (NASA, NIH and NSF) as well as data on private grants and fellowships. It also includes current grant fund balances with year-to-date major expense categories (salary, general expense, and F&A). Other displays present College-wide as well as department- by-department information on topics of importance to DEOs and deans such as FTEs, undergraduate majors and graduate programs, course enrollments, teaching loads, and student credit hours.
With Tableau, data analysis is about asking questions and not about learning software: Tableau enables limitless visual data exploration, packing years of data in intuitive views that help users and uncover insights faster. A major advantage of Tableau dashboards over traditional static spreadsheets is their ability to provide just-in-time, constantly updated reporting of current and historical CLAS data housed in several disconnected application systems on our campus (e.g., HR FTE and salary, DSP grants, MAUI course enrollment) in a one-stop shop. Users never miss the forest for the trees, as the dashboards allow them seamlessly to adjust their data lens from College to department and down to a faculty level of detail. Most views are split into quadrants combining numeric summary tables with interactive and colorful charts that display additional information as users hover over data points with their cursor or click. A beta version of the DEO dashboard was also rolled out to four departments in January 2022 for testing. Using their hawkid and password, all DEOs and administrators will be presented with data on the department they manage. A few individuals who oversee more than one unit will be able to simply choose which department to display. The DEO dashboard was demonstrated to all DEOs and departmental administrators in early May, and is slated for release to all CLAS departments during the summer. We think this will be a major step forward for CLAS leadership, and will facilitate better decision-making as we navigate the future.
CLAS GRANTS The CLAS overall grant trends view shows the sharp increase in both proposals and awards since 2018, the year the CLAS Grant Support Office was founded.
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NEW STUDENT INTERNS CLAS TS
Alfredo Filerio , a fourth-year computer science and engineering major, is working alongside CLAS Web Services Developers to migrate faculty lab sites from Drupal 7 to the latest version, Drupal 9. This involves many customer contacts, setting up initial sites using the *.lab.uiowa.edu template, migrating content into form elements, and wrapping up with user acceptance. Examples of Alfredo’s excellent work can be found at sites for the Dailey Lab, Prahlad Lab, and Forbes Lab in the Department of Biology. Melissa Krumm is a third-year Computer Science major from Grinnell, Iowa with special interests in research and computer networking. She has worked on Computer Science research projects with automated code review/testing and SPARTA (the Security, Privacy, and Anonymity Research Team). Melissa worked primarily with the CLAS Linux Team before taking a recurring internship at local cybersecurity firm ProCircular . Qualification for this internship was supported by knowledge Melissa gained on CLAS research projects. Katie Michalski , a third-year computer science and mathematics major, works alongside CLAS Application Developers on designing and troubleshooting web applications utilized by many CLAS departments—specifically focusing on front-end user experience for University of Iowa faculty and staff. Most recently, Katie has worked on the Foundation Dashboard application, which gathers and organizes University of Iowa donor information specific to CLAS. Along with web development, Katie also helps with data collection and entry for technology inventory. If you know of CLAS undergraduates interested in learning IT skills with us, let us know (lance-bolton@uiowa.edu)!
This year, CLAS Technology Services (CLAS TS) has again been fortunate to work with a team of talented student employees who make strong contributions to the success of research in our College. Rupanti Bose is a fourth-year computer science and engineering major who has been working alongside CLAS Data Analytics and CLAS Application Development teams. Rupanti hails from Madhukhali in the Faridpur District of Bangladesh and is primarily interested in software development and data mining. She is using her creative technical problem-solving skills to address the curation of aging databases. One of the consistent problems of a data-rich environment like CLAS is the categorization and curation of old databases. Microsoft Access appeared in 1992 and allowed for a visual front end to a database that could be connected to more complex enterprise solutions like Oracle or MS SQL Server. The problem with a 30-year-old database application is curation and “hygiene”, especially when Access databases are stored on shared drives. Deleting a database that you think nobody is using might unravel a tangled web of operations! Under guidance from CLAS application developers and data architects, Rupanti first determined the scope of the issue, which revealed over 2000 CLAS databases. Next, a plan to move the bulk of defunct databases to an archive was created, triaging into sets based on when each was created and last accessed. This required Rupanti to develop, from scratch, a PowerShell script to traverse the entirety of the CLAS shared and home drives. Central ITS had never seen this attempted at scale, and asked whether Rupanti could add another feature where the script would produce a report of all files where permissions were broken or blocked. ITS is now considering using Rupanti’s script for other colleges and administrative units to address similar organizational problems.
Lance Bolton Senior Director, Technology Services
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OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT INTERNS CONDUCT RESEARCH, SOLVE PROBLEMS When the University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) moved into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2019, one of the primary goals was for the office to foster and facilitate student research in disciplines throughout the college and university. We are proud to be accomplishing our mission! During the 2021–2022 academic year, in addition to supporting ICRU research scholarships, OSE directly supported 16 paid undergraduate internships. Interns, who represent a dozen majors, work closely with staff to develop projects based upon their academic interest. The goal of the internships is to complement classroom learning with experiential/applied opportunities. Interns often develop projects in concert with faculty, staff, or community organizations, with the support of a broad range of campus stakeholders. Students focus and conduct research on a variety of issues, from prairie reconstruction and campus biodiversity to food system research to lead contamination in K-12 schools. I invite you to meet these bright and innovative OSE research interns and learn about their work—and to let us know when you have a research project we can help you conduct!
10. Aluna-Aro Olaniyi | Project Intern aluna-aro-olaniyi@uiowa.edu
11. Lillian Poulsen | QT Clothing Closet Intern
Stratis Giannakouros Director, Office of Sustainability and the Environment
12. Sarah Rokos | Ashton Prairie Research Assistant sarah-rokos@uiowa.edu 13. Emma Schopen | Ashton Prairie Research Assistant emma-schopen@uiowa.edu 14. Hailey Voyek | Communications and Marketing Intern hailey-voyek@uiowa.edu
1. Marisa Casas | Communications Intern marisa-casas@uiowa.edu
2. Chelsea Cozad | Real Food Challenge Project Intern chelsea-cozad@uiowa.edu
15. Grace Wachholz | Communications Intern gwachholz@uiowa.edu 16. Payton Wensel | Project Lead Intern payton-wensel@uiowa.edu
3. Tong Ding | Project Intern siau-tong-ding@uiowa.edu
4. Eva Donnelly | Iowa Food Systems Coalition Communications and Marketing Intern eva-donnelly@uiowa.edu 5. Emmeline Kraus | Communications Intern emmeline-kraus@uiowa.edu 6. Kobie Long | Ashton Prairie Research Assistant kobie-long@uiowa.edu
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7. Abigail McKeone | Project Intern abigail-mckeone@uiowa.edu 8. Isabella Mullins | Project Intern isabella-mullins@uiowa.edu
9. Katarina O’Kulich | Prairie Outreach Coordinator Intern katarina-okulich@uiowa.edu
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CLAS AWARDS NEW GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS IN WRITING, EDITING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Editing Research Assistantships
These new graduate assistant positions, part of a five-year pilot project, provide doctoral students opportunities to participate with the college’s outreach, engagement, and writing missions in ways designed to diversify and transform graduate career preparation. Writing Research Assistantship for the Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the winners of a competition for five new Graduate Assistantships in Writing, Editing and Community Engagement.
CLAS also awarded two (2) 50% effort Editing Research
Assistantships to assist faculty who serve as editors-in-chief to selected prestigious academic journals
Cody Norling, 4th year candidate for the PhD in Music (Musicology), was selected to serve as editing research assistant for Dance Research Journal, the flagship English- language journal in the international field of Dance Studies, published by Cambridge University Press and co-edited by Rebekah Kowal, Department of Dance DEO. “I am thrilled by the opportunity to work directly with editors, reviewers, and authors in this exciting pilot program,” said Norling. “I am working toward a competitive presence in the academic job market, balancing a growing teaching portfolio with continued scholarly output. Editing, communicating, and collaborating are all valuable tasks which are applicable across my future responsibilities as a teacher, researcher, and colleague. This editing research assistantship will be an opportunity to continually develop the practical and professional skills necessary for a career in academia.”
Alyssa D. “Adare” Smith, Smith, PhD student in English, was awarded the 50% effort graduate assistant assistantship for the Magid Undergraduate Center for Writing where she will offer outreach and promotional support for various programs and endeavors across multiple platforms.
In her submission, Smith described how her personal interest in public-facing education and outreach compelled her to apply for the Magid Center writing research assistantship: “I am passionate about providing and advocating for accessibility, and this assistantship is in line with those values. This opportunity is uniquely positioned to teach me more about the services of the university and will allow me to easily network with like-minded individuals who are dedicated to positively impacting our campus community.”
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Community Engagement Graduate Assistantships for the Latham Science Engagement Initiative/Iowa Biosciences Academy Finally, CLAS also awarded two halftime Community Engagement Graduate Assistantships for the Latham Science Engagement Initiative and Iowa Biosciences Academy to Briante Najev and Kelley Withers, both PhD candidates in the Ingregrated Biology (iBio) program.
Corinne Watts, candidate for the PhD in Anthropology (third year) was also selected to serve as the editing research assistant RA, for the Journal of Archeological Method and Theory , the leading journal in its field, co-edited by Margaret Beck of the Department of Anthropology.
“While at the University of Iowa, I have continually developed my skills as an academic researcher, instructor, and writer,” shared Watts in her application. “These skills will not only serve me during my remaining time at this institution but will be necessary as I pursue work as a tenure-track professor after graduation. This assistantship is an opportunity for me to improve my skills related to research and publishing that will allow me to support my students and peers during future academic endeavors.”
In her application, Najev, who has a focus on evolution and ecology in her research under advisor Maurine Neiman, articulated the opportunity this assistantship represents: “My goals for the future are to pursue a career as a biologist for an agency that
serves the public and our public lands like Fish and Wildlife or the Forest Service. I believe that this graduate assistantship will provide major benefits for my future. Creating seminars, editing scientific articles, and polishing my own and others’ professional development skills are powerful ways of internalizing and teaching a suite of important tools. Writing is critical for virtually all science careers, so the writing opportunities afforded by this fellowship will be especially valuable.”
Withers, who is conducting her thesis research in Dr. Chi-Lien Cheng’s laboratory, described similar benefits in her own application letter: “To me, managing the editorial responsibilities of the Synthesis undergraduate journal is an exciting
opportunity to broaden my expertise in writing…I am pursuing a career in academia; therefore, it is of great interest that I develop and strengthen my skills in curriculum design, scientific publication, and undergraduate mentoring. This assistantship provides the perfect opportunity to accomplish this goal.” Awardees for this competition were selected by Christine Getz, Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Outreach and Engagement, in consultation with: Danny Kalatschi, director of the Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing; Lori Adams, director of the Latham Center/Iowa Biosciences Academy; the editors of the Dance Research Journal (Nadine George-Graves Northwestern University, and Rebekah Kowal, University of Iowa) and The Journal of Archeological Method and Theory (Valentine Roux, University of Paris-Nanterre and Margaret Beck, University of Iowa); Nick Benson, director of the UI Office of Community Engagement; and representatives from the CLAS Graduate Education Policy Committee.
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CLAS AWARDS FOUR MARCUS BACH FELLOWSHIPS
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences awarded four graduate students with the Marcus Bach Fellowships for Graduate Students in the Humanities for the 2022- 2023 academic year. The Bach Fellowship aims to foster intercultural communication of diverse philosophies by supporting MFA projects and doctoral dissertations for a semester. Established in 2005, the Marcus Bach Fellowships provide students a $13,750 salary, associated fringe benefits, tuition scholarship for 2 s.h. credits, and 50% of mandatory fees. 2022-2023 Marcus Bach Fellowships for Graduate Students in the Humanities recipients and their project topics include: Marie Capecchi, PhD candidate in English Literature, will study how early English women used performance, writing and publication to gain power using feminist theory, critical race theory, and postcolonial theory. Mason Hamberlin, an MFA student in the Nonfiction Writers’ Workshop, will draft a stand-alone essay that Hamberlin hopes to eventually expand into a manuscript. The essay will explore the intersections of faith and identity in queer LDS youth.
Michael Pekel, DMA candidate in Choral Conducting, will analyze the Anglican liturgical choral works of English composer Jonathan Harvey. Valerie Muensterman, MFA in Theatre, will write “The Living Light: A Play,” which will center on Hildegard of Bingen, a German mystic and polymath who worked as an abbess, composer, writer and physician. The fellowship is funded by the estate of Dr. Marcus Bach, who graduated in 1942 with a doctorate from the University of Iowa in Speech and Dramatic Arts. Up to four Bach Fellowships are awarded each year. Students in creative arts, humanities, and relevant social sciences are encouraged to apply, especially if their work aligns with the research of Dr. Bach. Learn more about the Marcus Bach Fellowships and the application process.
SUBHEAD Pa cusdaec aepelia voluptatiam, coreseque volupid que nusa ne lit eos inciet quia nis eumet quam ipsandae.
Anthropology doctoral student’s dissertation work featured on Science.org Ariane Thomas, doctoral student in biological anthropology, recently had her dissertation research into the history of indigenous and European dogs in the Americas using genetic data featured on Science.org, the family of journals is published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Ariane presented on her work as a poster at the American Association of Biological Anthropology meetings in late March. Learn more about Thomas’ fascinating research here.
18 I College of Liberal Arts and Sciences • clas.uiowa.edu
NEUROSCIENCE MAJOR WINS PRESTIGIOUS GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP
Rachael Volkman, a third-year neuroscience
The Goldwater Scholarship encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering, and is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields. Volkman is the second Goldwater Scholar from Narayanan’s lab after Lucy Wagner in 2018.
major, was named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Volkman was one of 417 recipients from across the country selected from pool of more than 5,000 applicants. Volkman has found ways to expand her scientific skills working at the Iowa Neuroscience Institute and in the lab of Dr. Kumar Narayanan, where her research focuses on cognitive neuroscience and the anatomy of how the brain sends and receives messages.
Full story in IowaNow
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5 FACULTY AWARDED OVPR ARTS AND HUMANITIES INITIATIVE GRANTS Highlights from the Humanities
E Cram, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies, and Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) recently awarded Arts and Humanities (AHI) grants, which support humanities scholarship and work in the creative, visual, and performing arts, to six UI researchers and scholars, five of whom are from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
Luis Martin-Estudillo, Professor, Spanish and Portuguese, CLAS
Corey Creekmur, Associate Professor, Cinematic Arts
Julia Anna Morrison, Lecturer, Cinematic Arts, CLAS
Christopher Harris, Associate Professor, Cinematic Arts
MORE INFORMATION https://research.uiowa.edu/impact/news/ six-researchers-and-scholars-receive-ahi- grants-ovpr
20 I College of Liberal Arts and Sciences • clas.uiowa.edu
CLAS FACULTY WIN MAJOR BOOK AWARDS
In poetry, fellow English faculty member Donika Kelly won the 2022 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in poetry for her collection titled The Renunciations. It is the only national juried prize for literature that confronts racism and explores diversity. Kelly was one of five recipients in the class of 2022. Anisfield-Wolf juror, Pulitzer laureate and 1977 Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate Rita Dove called
This spring, three CLAS faculty won major book awards affirming the University of Iowa’s strength in writing across the disciplines.
In nonfiction, Associate Professor Melissa Febos continued an impressive run of honors in April when she was was named a 2022 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow in general nonfiction. This came after also being named a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow in January, and then in March winning the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism.
The Renunciations “poetry of the highest order.”
Lastly, in political science, Professor and Lowell G. Battershell University Distinguished Chair of Political Science Caroline Tolbert was awarded the 2022 Goldsmith Book Prize in Academics for her book, Choosing the Future: Technology and Opportunity in Communities . The Goldsmith Awards are presented by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.
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22 I College of Liberal Arts and Sciences • clas.uiowa.edu Research STUDENTS AND FA MEET THE
In most issues of the CLAS Research Resource newsletter, we feature faculty members in our Meet the Researcher feature. For this end-of-year student issue, we would like to introduce you to several of our student researchers; we also feature Professor Renée Cole’s pedagogical research in the Department of Chemistry.
hers ACULTY
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MEET THE STUDENT RESEARCHER
EMILY FISCHER
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
What is the focus of your work? My project is part of an independent study overseen Dr. Melissa Tully, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The focus of my work is to produce an original podcast about climate change in the Midwest. My podcast, called Heating Up, shows audiences how climate change in the Midwest differs from climate change on the coasts. I talk to experts in the field – scientists, professors, policy makers, and community leaders. With their help, I illustrate the economic, social, and environmental impacts of climate change on our communities. In the past, I interned with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and learned a lot about the ways that American audiences receive information about climate change. This inspired me to create a platform that could educate audiences in the Midwest about climate impacts, which are often indirect and difficult to recognize. Tell us about the broad impact it has/could have. We often think of climate change as rising sea levels and disastrous hurricanes, but climate change looks different in each region. It’s important for us as Midwesterners to recognize the ways that climate change impacts our communities so that we can find ways to mitigate these impacts. I hope that audiences who hear my podcast can relate to the conversations that I’m having with scientists and community members. Hopefully, that will motivate people to get involved in climate mitigation and conservation in their communities.
What excites you about the environment in CLAS? CLAS is multidisciplinary. Researchers in CLAS acknowledge that important research combines multiple fields of study to spark innovation and enact change. My professors have encouraged me to be creative when identifying problems and seeking solutions. As a student in CLAS, I’m able to apply my communications skills and passion for science to a variety of projects – my internship, podcast, student organization, and personal hobbies. I’m really excited about how much I’ve grown over the past four years and how I can apply the skills that I’ve collected to my future career pursuits. What are your hobbies and pursuits outside of work? When I’m not working on my podcast, I like to read and stay active. I’m originally from Minnesota and spend as much time as I can outside. I hike, kayak, hammock, paddle board, and run outdoors whenever the weather is nice enough. I also love to cook and bake, and I’m constantly testing new recipes on my friends. What are your favorite things to do in Iowa City? I’m a foodie, so I love to eat at Iowa City’s amazing restaurants! My running favorites are Short’s, Oasis, and Baroncini – but I’m always looking for new places to try. I also love going to Lake MacBride State Park and paddleboarding – it’s a great way to spend a summer day!
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MEET THE STUDENT ARTIST
GRADUATE STUDENT, SCHOOL OF MUSIC JEROME GILLESPIE
What is the focus of your work? The focus of my work here at this institution is to become a well- rounded musician, not only as a player, but as a composer and educator. While it requires a lot of hard work, I have the pleasure of serving as a TA for two Jazz History sections and co-direct of the Latin Jazz Ensemble, all while participating in a couple of performing ensembles, studying composition, and music and gender. Tell us about the broad impact it has/could have. Jazz is not a popular genre like it used to be, and it probably will never be truly “popular”. However, when I’m either teaching or performing, I strive to preserve the culture of this art form while making this music more accessible and relevant to the millennial and post-millennial generation. Many students who take jazz history have no prior knowledge of jazz, and it fills me with so much joy when I hear my students tell me that they enjoy listening to jazz; not only that, but they are making their own discoveries as well. This is not so much because it’s a compliment to the work that I’m doing, but because it ensures that America’s greatest and original contribution will not likely fade away. What excites you about the environment in CLAS? There are a lot of things that I love about the environment. The Voxman building is very beautiful, especially when the sun is out. In addition to the building, everyone I met at the School of Music has been very nice and welcoming. I’m very fortunate to learn from, and work with an amazing faculty (Dr. Damani Phillips, Dr. William Menefield, Prof. Curtis Taylor, and Prof. James Dreier) along with my peers and colleagues. What are your hobbies and pursuits outside of work? When I’m not at the drums (which is my main instrument) I’m mostly like watching Netflix or HBO Max. Currently my favorite show series are Boondocks, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Crown, and my favorite movies are Justice League (Zach Snyder cut), Batman Trilogy, and any Dave Chapelle comedy special.
What are your favorite things to do in Iowa City? One thing about me is that I’m a huge history nerd. With that being said, when the weather is desirable, I like to walk around the Old Capitol building anytime I have some minutes to spare between classes and practice sessions. I find it amazing how the school is built around a building that embodies the history of this state. Aside from that I find great joy in hanging out with my friends.
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MEET THE STUDENT RESEARCHER
LEX GOMEZ
What is the focus of your work? My graduate work seeks to understand how the developing brain processes sensory information. Sensory experience in early development is thought to be very instructive: It shapes the function and connectivity of structures throughout the nervous system. Much of my work is focused at the level of neocortex, where most higher-order sensory processing takes place. I investigate neural activity in sensory and motor areas of neocortex and ask: a) How are they receiving sensory information? b) How are they responding to that sensory information? and c) How do both of these factors change over development? My research also examines how sensory processing in early development is influenced by sleep. Tell us about the broad impact it has/could have. My work provides important context for understanding how infant brains make sense of the world. It helps answer the question: How does a growing brain make sense of a growing body, as well as the environment around it? More broadly, my work may lead to insights regarding how sensory and motor abnormalities shape brain development and behavior. communities. INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN NEUROSCIENCE (BLUMBERG LAB, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES)
What excites you about the environment in CLAS? The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been a great environment for me while I complete my doctoral work. I get to interact with a variety of folks with diverse research interests on a regular basis, which provides fantastic fuel for scientific thought. During my time at UI, I’ve developed great connections with peers and mentors within the research community in CLAS. What are your hobbies and pursuits outside of work? I enjoy a wide variety of hobbies that allow me to exercise creative energy. I play and write music, write a little poetry, and am low-key working on a novel. I also perform locally with the burlesque and circus communities. I collect insects and am currently learning how to lasso. What are your favorite things to do in Iowa City? COVID-willing, the arts and music festivals in the summer are a highlight of my year. There’s a lot of great local talent in Iowa City, and it’s a treat to attend outdoor concerts in the summer. Iowa City also has several verdant hiking areas that I have managed to get blissfully lost in.
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