College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa

Home
United States
Iowa City, IA
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa

Offering Hawkeyes a rich liberal arts experience at the heart of a major public research university.

09/10/2026

As the seventh-oldest psychology department in the country, CLAS’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences has helped advance the study of the mind, brain, and behavior for more than a century.

The department claims some of the most influential faculty and graduates in American psychology, including Albert Bandura, Leon Festinger, and Janet Taylor Spence.

Today, more than 130 undergraduates learn in a collaborative, research-focused environment with faculty working across behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, clinical science, and cognition.

Thanks to the generations of students, scholars and alumni who have contributed to psychology at Iowa, the department's legacy of curiosity and discovery continues today.

09/09/2026

In Waverly, Iowa, Ali Hval found that painting a mural can become a community project in unexpected ways.

As Hval painted, strangers brought her water and snacks, and even bought her dinner after seeing her covered in paint.

The CLAS assistant professor of instruction in the School of Art, Art History, and Design has completed more than 50 murals and public art projects across the country. In Waverly, she painted a giant charm bracelet to tell the community’s story, incorporating references to the bike trail, the town’s history of horse sales, and more.

“The compassion of a community always shines while I’m out there chipping away at a mural,” Hval said.

09/08/2026

Ultra-tiny diamonds could help researchers better understand what’s happening inside living cells—and potentially detect changes associated with diseases such as cancer.

Denis Candido, assistant professor in Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Iowa, co-led a study examining diamond-based quantum sensors that can measure temperature changes within cells.

The research team discovered that a diamond sensor’s surface can affect its readings, an important distinction that could help scientists make more accurate cellular temperature measurements.

The findings establish a foundation for developing more precise tools for biomedical research and, potentially, future diagnostic technologies.

09/07/2026

Corundum, a mineral in the same family as rubies and sapphires, has been discovered on Mars.

Valerie Payré, an assistant professor in the University of Iowa School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability, is a co-investigator on the NASA-funded SuperCam instrument team using the Perseverance rover to explore Mars.

A small amount of corundum was found, so it is too early to way whether there’s future potential for the mining of gems on the Red Planet.

“It’s the first time we’re observing it at the surface of Mars, so we were not expecting it at all,” Payré said.

For Payré, the discovery is another reason to keep exploring. With Perseverance healthy and its mission extended, she hopes the rover can continue helping scientists investigate Mars and its history for years to come.

09/06/2026

Congratulations to the recipients of the University of Iowa's Distinguished Alumni Award! These CLAS graduates are truly deserving of this highest alumni honor at Iowa.

Lisa Hindson is a sports management alumna who earned her bachelor's, master's and PhD in three years at Iowa. She worked for the International Olympic Committee as the head of Games Operations.

Marilynne Robinson is one of the most decorated living writers in America. She is a Pulitzer Prize winner, author of five novels, and has been awarded 16 honorary degrees. She is a professor emertius of the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

Barrett Anderson is a political science graduate who was president of student government, president of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, and captain of the mock trial program while at Iowa. He studied law at Yale and works as an attorney for the Federal Trade Commission.

Congratulations again to these incredible people from CLAS!

Do you know alumni who deserve this award? Nominate them for the 2027 awards by Jan. 31, 2027.

09/05/2026

Some of the most intense auroras in the last 500 years occurred on Mother’s Day in 2024.

New research led by the Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Iowa offers the most detailed account to date of the geomagnetic storm behind these auroras. The team found that 10 coronal mass ejections (explosions on the surface of the sun) erupted over four days, with multiple magnetic clouds merging and strengthening on their journey toward Earth.

The findings provide new insight into how interacting solar eruptions can produce intense space weather and could help scientists develop more accurate forecasts of their effects on Earth, as geomagnetic storms can threaten satellites, power grids, and other activities.

The study was published in the Astrophysical Journal this August.

09/04/2026

Language skills and cultural competence can open doors across industries and the world.

CLAS students studying linguistics, languages, and international studies are learning how the world works, and their place in it. Their experiences include studying abroad, completing internships and ambassadorships, leading conversation groups, and learning to communicate meaning across diverse contexts.

Those experiences can prepare students for careers in education, international business, government, nonprofit organizations, translation, diplomacy, and more.

09/03/2026

Gardening.
Making coffee.
Video art.
Puppet shows.

Class activities go beyond the traditional with Elizabeth Rodriguez Fielder, associate professor in University of Iowa - Department of English and American Studies at Iowa.

As a scholar of Latinx studies, Rodriguez Fielder brings her interests in literature, visual culture, history and activism into the classroom. She encourages students to experiment with ideas and take creative risks.

“Just ask harder questions and ask weirder questions," said Rodriguez Fielder of what she wants her students to take away from her classes. "When they think they’re done asking the question, ask it again.”

09/02/2026

Ancient Egypt wasn’t only the world of pyramids and pharaohs. Its surviving records tell stories of love, arguments between neighbors, stolen property, workplace rivalries, and other ordinary experiences that still feel familiar thousands of years later.

CLAS Egyptologist Nicholas Brown studies history from the bottom up, focusing on the daily lives of people often missing from the historical record. His work takes him from ancient texts to archaeological sites in Egypt, where he uses modern approaches to revisit discoveries made more than a century ago.

In Classics and Religious Studies at Iowa, Brown is also creating opportunities for students to experience Egyptology as a living field of study, including joining excavation fieldwork in Egypt when possible.

“I'm where I'm at today because of the generosity and time of mentors and teachers that I had,” Brown said. “It's definitely my mantra to pay it forward and give students that chance as well.”

09/01/2026

Got writer's block?

Writers from across the university—from mathematics to rhetoric—share their best writing tips.

From creating a Pavlovian-esque signal for yourself, to focusing on writing for only one audience member, CLAS faculty and staff share their diverse approaches to tackling the blank page.

What's your best writing advice? Comment below!

Address

240 Schaeffer Hall
Iowa City, IA
52242

Telephone

+13193352625

Website

http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa:

Want your university to be the top-listed University in Iowa City?