Dear Hawkeyes,

In August, I wrote about the power of focusing on small, strategic steps. Helping visitors with their gold bags find a building or an office on campus, leaving a handwritten apology note on a damaged bike that included four one-dollar bills to buy coffee, saving a patient’s life by noticing unusual symptoms or bloodwork … all simple choices to show up for someone else.

And collectively, these steps make a difference.

This fall we welcomed one of the largest first-year classes in our history. Faculty and staff across campus responded with creativity and support. You redesigned courses, expanded supplemental instruction, and used data to understand what students need. 

Our health care and research communities continued to change lives in ways that began here in Iowa and now are reaching around the globe.

This semester we highlighted the story of Grace Lidgett, a young Iowan with cystic fibrosis whose life has been transformed by therapies rooted in decades of research at the University of Iowa. Her determination to defy expectations, combined with the work of Dr. Michael Welsh and his colleagues, shows what happens when world-class science and deep compassion meet real people and real families.

Across disciplines, Iowa faculty earned recognition that reflects our role as a destination for talent. Faculty received some of the highest honors in medicine and science, including the Lasker Award, the Horwitz Prize, and election into the National Academies of Medicine. Four of our alumni were longlisted for the National Book Award in fiction. These achievements, alongside record applications and strong student success, show that accessible excellence is real. 

We also welcomed students like Reese Rosenmeyer, a first-year medical student from Algona, Iowa. Her desire to serve others grew out of caring for her grandfather and volunteering with families at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Reese describes leadership as “picking someone up if they are having a rough day” and taking responsibility for their well-being. 

Our students and storytellers made us proud, too. The Daily Iowan earned its 10th Newspaper Pacemaker and its fourth in a row. That recognition confirms what many of us already know. Our student journalists are among the very best in the nation. Their work helps us understand the world around us and stay engaged with one another.

One of my favorite developments this fall came from a very simple idea. Through the new Hawkeye High-Five program, colleagues sent hundreds of notes of appreciation to one another in just the first few weeks. Many of those messages recognized work that most people never see. A groundskeeper who keeps campus safe and welcoming. A nurse who quietly steps into a critical gap. These are the small steps that build a culture where people can do their best work.

As we head into winter break, I want to say thank you.

Thank you to the faculty who redesigned courses and found new ways to reach students. Thank you to the staff who kept this campus running, often behind the scenes. Thank you to the students who showed up for one another, led with kindness, and shared their voices and talents with the world. Thank you to the clinicians and researchers who continue to put patients and discovery at the center of their work.

I hope you find time to rest and reconnect with the people who matter most to you. I am grateful for all you have done this semester, and I am excited for what we will accomplish together in the new year.

With appreciation,

Barbara J. Wilson
President, University of Iowa