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Upcoming UICA Events

If you don't see the event you are looking for, please also visit events.uiowa.edu.

January 5, 2026 - January 7, 2026
Hawkeyes at Home: Behind the Scenes at the University of Iowa
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm (CST)
Where: Online Event
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The University of Iowa´s video series debuts three fresh mini-features - each just four minutes long - delivering behind-the-scenes access to some of Iowa´s most fascinating innovations and spaces.

  • Driving Research for Safer Roads (Streaming begins at noon CST on Monday, Jan. 5)
    Explore Iowa´s cutting-edge driving research and how it´s shaping the future of road safety.

  • Hidden Gems of University Libraries (Streaming begins noon CST Tuesday, Jan. 6)
    Discover the unexpected treasures and stories tucked away in Iowa´s library system.

  • Inside Iowa´s Surgical Simulation Labs (Streaming begins noon CST Wednesday, Jan. 7)
    Go behind the scenes of UI Health Care´s innovative training spaces for future surgeons.

Sign up here to receive a reminder ahead of the video debuts. Stream for free from your living room, or wherever you like to tune in, and let Hawkeyes at Home bring these fascinating stories to you.

Contact: Tegan Donahue 319-467-3393

Departments: Special Collections, Carver College of Medicine Research, College of Engineering, University Libraries

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January 16, 2026
Write Now Flash Writing Contest
4:00 pm (CST)
Where: Online Event
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Mark your calendars for the UI Alumni and Friends Flash Writing Contest!
This free, online short story competition is timed and open to a variety of age groups-including a new category for current University of Iowa students! You don´t need to be an Iowa Writers´ Workshop graduate or a published author to join in the fun.

The contest categories are:

  • Grades 3 & 4

  • Grades 5 & 6

  • Grades 7 & 8

  • Grades 9-12

  • Current University of Iowa Students

  • Adult, University of Iowa Alumni

  • Adult, Friends of the University

We´ll provide a genre, character, and object to incorporate into your story. You´ll have 48 hours and 1,000 words to craft your tale.

Contest Dates: January 16-18
Check the contest website on Friday, Jan. 16, at 4 p.m. CST, for complete details and your selection of writing prompts.

The top entry in each category will be featured on the UI Flash Writing Contest website and receive an Iowa-themed writing prize pack!

Questions? Visit Write Now - Flash Writing Contest | University of Iowa Center for Advancement or contact Tegan Donahue at tegan.donahue@foriowa.org.

Contact: Tegan Donahue 319-467-3393

Departments: Center for Advancement

January 22, 2026
Scottsdale Together Hawkeyes Tour
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm (CST)
Where: 7600 E. Gainey Club Dr., Scottsdale, AZ US 85258
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Together, Hawkeyes continue to blaze new trails and fuel discoveries. This fall, we are headed to Scottsdale-and we hope you will join us for a special night celebrating all things black and gold.

You´ll gain insights into the Together Hawkeyes campaign and plans to expand programming to support student success. You´ll also learn about other university happenings as you hear from:

  • Barbara Wilson, University of Iowa president

  • Lynette Marshall, UI Center for Advancement president and CEO

You´ll also have a chance to go back to class for engaging sessions with Christian Pettker, department executive officer and the Jennifer R. Niebyl Chair in the UI Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Tyler Bell, Provost AI Fellow and associate professor in the UI Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Together Hawkeyes Tour and Educational Series
Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026
3:30-5 p.m. Educational Series
5-7 p.m. Reception | Program at 6 p.m.

We will provide appetizers and a hosted bar. We hope to see you in Scottsdale!

Hors d´oeuvres and a hosted bar will be provided. Program begins at 6:45 p.m.

Contact: Sevanah Thomas 319-467-3563

Departments: Center for Advancement

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December 5, 2025 - December 4, 2026
Art & Write Night
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (CST)
Where: 39-53 East Jefferson Street, Iowa City, IA US 52240
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Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.

Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.

Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session and will sometimes move about the Museum but we'll always start in Bird Hall on the third Floor of Macbride Hall. Join anytime between 6-8 p.m. and feel free to participate in a themed creation challenge or work on your own project with our exhibits as inspiration. We'll save the last 15-30 minutes of each session to share what we've been working on, connecting with others (optional, of course!).

Please note, the Museum is typically closed during this time, meaning the main entrance to Iowa Hall (atop the large staircase outside on the east side of Macbride Hall) will be closed and locked. All other building doors will be open, offering access to the Ground Floor of Macbride Hall, restrooms, stairs and elevator to the third floor galleries where this program takes place. Bird Hall is located on the third floor of Macbride Hall and can be reached by stairs or by taking the elevator to the third floor of the building.

Special thanks to Blick Art Materials for supplying extra art materials. Make sure to check in with us in Bird Hall to check out a variety of special art tools and supplies.

Contact: Jessica Smith 319-335-3591

Departments: Department of Biology, Department of English, Division of Interdisciplinary Programs, Iowa Writers' Workshop, Iowa Youth Writing Project, Leadership and Engagement, Magid Center for Writing, School of Art, Art History, and Design, Museum of Natural History

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February 14, 2026
Application Deadline: Obermann International Fellowships (Fall 2026)
All Day ()
Where: 111 Church Street, Iowa City, IA US 52245
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The UI Obermann Center for Advanced studies is accepting applications for Fall 2026 Obermann International Fellowships. This program offers dedicated space, time, and funding for interdisciplinary scholars to collaborate on innovative research at the University of Iowa. Up to eight international fellowships will be granted every academic year. Applicants must be active researchers at an accredited institution of higher learning outside of the United States or independent researchers/artists with a track record of excellence based outside of the U.S. Their area of research must have a direct equivalent at the University of Iowa. 

Obermann International Fellows will receive:

  • A $3,000 stipend to help defray the cost of travel and lodging

  • University of Iowa health insurance coverage for the duration of the fellowship

  • Office space at the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies

  • Temporary University of Iowa affiliation, including access to UI libraries

  • Structured opportunities for scholarly exchange (seminars, lectures, introduction to UI researchers, etc.)

  • An official letter of invitation for institutional and visa purposes

  • Information about accommodations and other practical needs

Read more about the program and application process at https://obermann.uiowa.edu/obermann-international-fellowships. Applications for the Fall 2026 semester are due February 14, 2026.

Obermann International Fellowships are funded by the University of Iowa's Obermann Center for Advanced Studies with generous additional support from International Programs.

Contact: Erin Hackathorn 319-335-4034

Departments: Obermann Center, Center for Advancement, International Programs, International Writing Program, Office of the Vice President for Research, Department of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures

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April 18, 2026
Alumni Day 2026
All Day ()
Where: 1 Park Road, Iowa City, IA US 52242
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Return to campus for a day made just for Iowa alumni! Reconnect with classmates, relive campus memories, and celebrate your black and gold pride with Hawkeyes from every generation.

Build your own schedule-from campus tours and inspiring talks to laid-back gatherings and behind-the-scenes experiences.

Mark your calendar and join fellow Hawkeyes for an unforgettable day!

Contact: Kate Sojka 319-467-3884

Departments: Carver College of Medicine, Center for Advancement, College of Law, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, Medicine Alumni

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Old Gold: Religious Studies' Long Association with UI

The UI is home to the nation's longest-standing Department of Religious Studies at a public university. PHOTO: F.W. Kent Collection of Photographs, Faculty series, UI Archives Rufus H. Fitzgerald, an early proponent of the School of Religion, circa 1930. Editor's note: In Old Gold, University archivist David McCartney looks back at the UI's history and tradition through materials housed in University Archives, Department of Special Collections, University of Iowa Libraries. Religious education was not new to the State University of Iowa when the School of Religion was established in 1927. Attendance at vespers, for example, was expected of students for many years during the 19th century, and courses pertaining to the study of certain religions were offered for credit during the early 20th century before the formation of the school. PHOTO: 1960 Hawkeye yearbook, UI Archives The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's visit to the Iowa Memorial Union on Nov. 11, 1959, was sponsored by the School of Religion. What was new was the concept of organizing such a formalized degree-granting program at a public university. Iowa was the first such institution in the U.S. to do so. Today, the Department of Religious Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as the school is now known, ranks among the nation's 25 leading programs, according to theologydegrees.org. Before going any further, Old Gold should clear up a common misconception. The university has not been, nor is it now, the home of a theological seminary. Instead of offering, say, a master of divinity degree, the university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in religious studies. The distinction is important, particularly in the context of a tax-supported institution. As Stow Persons wrote in The University of Iowa in the Twentieth Century: An Institutional History, "Religious courses simply assured a place for religious studies alongside the various secular disciplines. ... The [approach] adopted to justify religious courses in a public university?studying about religion?tacitly acknowledged the not so subtle distinction between religion as lived and religion as perceived." To some, the coexistence of science and religion at an institution of higher learning may seem paradoxical. Since its inception, however, the Department of Religious Studies has maintained its role of service in the realm of research and instruction. This was, in essence, how the university's administration envisioned the program when President Walter Jessup (34LITTD) appointed a Committee on Religious Education in 1921. The committee secured funding from the Rockefeller Foundation and other private sources to launch the school, with direction provided by Rufus Fitzgerald, secretary of the campus YMCA chapter. (Fitzgerald would later serve as director of the Iowa Memorial Union and the School of Fine Arts.) Its first director was M. Willard Lampe, who served from 1927 to 1954. PHOTO: F.W. Kent Collection of Photographs, Faculty series, UI Archives M. Willard Lampe, the first director of the School of Religion, 1927. In its early years, the program relied upon sectarian gifts to financially support faculty representing Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish faiths, a practice intended to maintain the appearance of separation of church and state. The practice, however, brought its own set of problems. Funding from outside sources in some cases meant that donors could assume responsibility for the hiring and firing of faculty with no approval or participation by the college or administration. Critics also expressed concern about the consistency of faculty and whether they met the academic qualifications that would be expected in any other setting on campus. By about 1940, all faculty and staff in the school were paid by university funds, or were supported by private funds with the understanding that the school would exercise its authority to hire and grant tenure. Endowed chairs or funded fellowships now account for four of the program's 16 active faculty. Today the Department of Religious Studies is interdisciplinary, offering a broad and diverse curriculum of over 120 courses at the undergraduate level alone. They entail ethics, popular culture, environmentalism, human rights, gender and sexuality, politics, and anthropology, as well as its roots: studies of all major world religions. Learn more: clas.uiowa.edu/religion/

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