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Executive Vice President and Provost Michael J. Hogan has accepted the presidency at the University of Connecticut. See this page for more information, or visit UConn's web site to view their press release. The ProLog is my own little page where I can share items of interest, celebration, or concern with my University colleagues. It’s my hope to update things here every few days. |
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This is a bittersweet time for me. Here they come—our students, returning to campus—and here I am, preparing to leave. This will be my last entering class at Iowa.
I look at this entering class, as I’ve looked at the ones that came before, and I see a wonderful group of young people—the future of our state, our nation, and our world. I’m disappointed that I won’t get to see these students all the way through their journey. Nurturing them on the road to becoming the leaders of tomorrow is a profound responsibility, and also a joy.
I’m disappointed for myself, but not concerned for them! I know how seriously our University takes its responsibility toward them, and I know it will continue to do so. Iowa faculty will continue to challenge their students to achieve excellence, and provide them with the support they need to pursue their individual dreams. They will teach well, demand much, and reach out to the student who needs just a bit of extra encouragement and support.
I also know that you’ll have the support and leadership you need from our terrific new president and a deeply committed Office of the Provost.
I can’t tell you how proud I am to have been a part of this community of scholars, dedicated in so many ways to achieving a better future. I wish you great success and every happiness as you continue that worthiest of quests.
Before I leave Iowa City, I want to congratulate the fourteen Iowa staff members who are receiving excellence awards from the UI Staff Council.
2006 David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award for Public Service
Jodi Linley, assistant director, Iowa biosciences advantage program, and Barbara Spence, administrative specialist II, microbiology.
Board of Regents Staff Excellence Awards
John Achrazoglou, director, education technology center, College of Education;
Rebecca Anthony, director, educational placement office, College of Education;
Elaine Haddy, associate director of human resources/information management;
Chris Kula, business manager, central mail services and university copy centers;
Patricia W. Mason-Browne, assistant director of academic programs and services, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences;
Marinea Mehrhoff, supervisor of radiochemistry/chemist III, University Hygienic Lab.
UI Outstanding Staff Award
Janet Crow, dental registrar, College of Dentistry;
Diana Harris, director, Project and Communications Manager, College of Engineering;
Patricia Kosier, human resources manager, University Hygienic Laboratory;
Jerry Slezak, parking cashier attendant, parking and transportation;
Katherine Walden, assistant to the chair, obstetrics and gynecology; and
Kristy Walker, director of clinical applications, health care information system.
Without our dedicated and resourceful staff, students could not be enrolled and graduated, classes couldn't be taught, libraries wouldn't be available, performances and exhibitions could not take place, special events, lectures, symposia, conferences, sporting events, public transit, the Daily Iowan, the IMU, the residence halls, the dinining rooms, all wouldn't be part of our campus, research could not be conducted and published, patients couldn't be seen, medical procedures could not be performed, healing could not happen, even the Old Capitol would stand empty. Thanks to all of the UI staff who help make Iowa the great University it has been for five generations.
As the semester begins, I want to mention the Erroll B. Davis / Alliant Energy Prize for graduating seniors in Engineering and Business. As you may recall, this Regents-wide prize was started last year, thanks to the generous contribution of Alliant Energy, to commemorate the accomplishments of its first African American Vice President, Erroll B. Davis, Jr., who is now the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia. The award is available to student leaders who are from communities underrepresented in engineering and business, and is paid after their graduation. Last year’s recipients (two from UI, one from ISU) were honored in a reception hosted by Iowa State in conjunction with the spring Board of Regents meeting. More information about the award is available at:
At this time I ask that Business and Engineering faculty members consider nominating deserving students for this award by the October 1 deadline. Information will be sent to the students who are eligible for the prize. Please contact Dean Hunter's or Dean Butler's office for more information.
There's a press release today (August 14) from UI Health Science Relations about the "Dox Writers' Workshop," an informal group of medical doctors in the Carver College of Medicine who get togther to read and critique each other's creative writing efforts. I've been meaning to highlight the "Dox" for some time and the release today prompts me to finally do it. Our College of Medicine has so many excellent doctors, professionals, and support people who also practice their other talents in the community: musicians, artists, writers. The Dox Big Band has been an on-again, off-again institution at College gigs for many years, a full dance band composed of M.D.s and other College professionals (with a little help in past years from the late Iowa City attorney Bill Meardon, who always really wished he had become a band leader instead of a lawyer).
I see that Scott Vogelgesang, clinical professor and director of the internal medicine residency program and a Dox Band member, is also active in the Dox Writer's Workshop. That's not Scott in either picture above. Here he is:
and he's a pretty mean trumpet player. (I haven't read his writing.) I want to commend everyone involved in these efforts for taking the time and energy to go 'outside the box,' as we say, and realize accomplishments with talents that would otherwise lie fallow if they simply stuck to their chosen profession. Some other participants in the writing project are:
Loreen Herwaldt 
James Christensen
Margaret Lemay-Lewis (center)
Margaret Lemay-Lewis, the Dox group's moderator, was instrumental in planning the very successful conference, “The Examined Life: Writing and the Art of Medicine,” this past Spring. "The Examined Life" helped more than 120 physicians and medical educators connect with one another at the UI Carver College of Medicine. The College's Office of Student Affairs and Curriculum’s Writing Program initiated and organized the event, believed to be the first of its kind in the Midwest.
“The conference was an opportunity for dialogue” among those interested in fusing medicine with writing and literature, said Margaret LeMay-Lewis, coordinator of the Writing Program and herself a poet and graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop. Participants — who came from coast to coast and many places between — included physicians, writers, medical educators and others whose interests ranged from the purely literary to the more utilitarian capacity of reflective writing to improve medical education and patient care.
The star-studded roster of keynote speakers included Ethan Canin, MD, a Harvard Medical School graduate who turned to writing and now is a member of the Iowa Writers Workshop faculty; Maggie Conroy, MFA, a playwright, actor and director based in Iowa City; Rachel Hadas, PhD, a poet, essayist, translator and teacher at Rutgers University; and David Watts, MD, a physician, poet, author, inventor and National Public Radio commentator.
Ethan Canin
It's this kind of synergy and energy that makes Iowa such a unique and exhilarating place. And I'll miss it very much.
We're pleased to announce our new $1,000 scholarship for Iowa community college students transferring to the UI under its 2 Plus 2 Guaranteed Graduation Plan. This scholarship builds on the tremendous opportunity the 2 Plus 2 program represents for Iowa community college students interested in coming to the UI. The program will help them plan for a successful transition, and the scholarship will help defray their costs. It's a double boost toward success.
The 2 Plus 2 plan is for Iowa community college students in certain majors who intend to transfer to the UI after earning an associate of arts degree. The participating student who follows the plan's degree-planning checkpoints is guaranteed a UI bachelor's degree after just two additional years of study. The formula is designed to save the student time and money with early assistance from Iowa advisors.
Beginning with applicants for the spring semester of 2008, 2 Plus 2 students with the highest transfer grade-point averages will be automatically considered for the new 2 Plus 2 Transfer Scholarship. Up to 25 scholarships will be awarded for spring 2008. The award is renewable for one year.
The 2 Plus 2 plan is currently available to students in select majors at several Iowa community colleges. The university will add all Iowa community colleges and more majors to the plan in the near future.
For more details about UI scholarships for Iowa transfer students, visit http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions/undergrad/costs/xfer-fin-aid.htm.
Congratulations to Sally Mason, the 20th President of The University of Iowa! I know Sally from our work in the CIC Provosts' group, and I am pleased that she will be joining our Hawkeye family. Her background will allow her to do great things here at Iowa. I share the excitement with many that the outcome of the search process is here and an excellent choice has been made. I know that President Mason will help the university move in the right direction in the future. Please join me in extending a full Hawkeye welcome to Sally and Ken as they join our community.
Congratulations to Rita Frantz, Dean of theCollege of Nursing
Professor Rita Frantz became our new Dean of the College of Nursing on July 1. I was very pleased to announce this appointment to the campus on June 6. Rita will be an excellent dean - she knows the College and Iowa through and through.
I want to thank publicly Dean David Johnsen and the members of the search committee who did an excellent job conducting the search and advising me on the candidates. Also, thanks to everyone in the College for their cooperation with the search, and their patience. And last, but certainly not least, we all owe a big thank-you to Interim Dean Martha Craft-Rosenberg, who guided Nursing's ship of state with grace and vision through the narrows of the interim.
CASE Silver Medal Winner
The College of Public Health's 2005 annual report just received a CASE Circle of Excellence silver medal award to honor the college's outstanding efforts in institutional advancement. It's a handsome publication, and worth reading too. CASE is the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Herky's back!
After several months' absence, Herky has been seen recently perched atop the Old Capitol dome. A great sight!
Although the University of Iowa has the lowest in-state tuition in the Big Ten, our recent tuition increases have proven a hardship for many students and their families. During these times of increased costs, the University not only has a goal of maintaining its existing commitment to fund needed scholarships and grants, but to reach even more students than ever before. To help accomplish this, I asked our Admissions and Student Financial Aid staff to reevaluate all our existing undergraduate scholarship and grant programs. After reviewing these against the goals of our Strategic Plan, The Iowa Promise - especially the commitments to undergraduate education and diversity - we are pleased to announce a 3-year initiative to increase undergraduate scholarships by $10 million, through three new financial-aid programs:
-Pathways Scholarships and Grants
-Iowa Heritage Awards
-Advantage Iowa Awards
and committing additional dollars to the existing National Scholars Awards and Old Gold Scholars programs. For more details, please refer to the news release.
