As the fall semester closes, the season of both giving and thanks opens. I want to share my sincere gratitude for all that our university community gives—to our students, to each other as colleagues, to our state, and to our country and world. Because of the many talents of our people, the University of Iowa accomplishes so much, and I am grateful to share your stories both on and off campus. 

In just the past few months, we have been able to highlight many wonderful examples of impact, including:

• Paras Bassuk, the psychology major who was named the UI’s 32nd Rhodes Scholar
• Kaveh Akbar, the director of the undergraduate English and creative writing major, who was named a National Book Award finalist for his novel Martyr!, which was also placed on the New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2024 list
• Jill Kolesar, dean of the College of Pharmacy, who received a $10 million federal award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to support the first clinical trial of a new drug therapy for ovarian cancer that targets cancer cells only
• A team of Carver College of Medicine researchers led by Ted Abel, director of the Iowa Neuroscience Institute, whose research sheds light on the unique effects of sleep deprivation on different parts of the brain

Stories such as these illustrate our three distinctive areas of excellence at Iowa: writing and communication, cancer research and patient care, and brain science and mental health.

And yet there are countless examples of people going above and beyond in their everyday work across our university. From those who greet people in departmental offices throughout campus to those who spend long hours collecting cutting-edge data in our labs to those who teach early Monday morning classes to first-year students … our commitment is everywhere.

We all make significant contributions to our mission, and I thank each and every one of you for the part you play in our success. As you exchange gifts and thanks during this special time of the year, please generously share your gratitude for your fellow Hawkeyes.

I look forward to new stories of your accomplishments in 2025!

With best wishes,

Barb Wilson