IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering and officials from the city of Dubuque gathered Monday to demonstrate a model pump station built to help ensure a $28M flood control system in Dubuque keeps residents safe during flood conditions.

Three engineering graduate students were named 2025-26 Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows, a year-long educational experience designed to immerse them in the dynamic world of healthcare innovation. The engineering students include Connor Grierson (biomedical), Michael Scott (biomedical), and Katie Vaiciulis (mechanical).

Researchers at the University of Iowa Driving Safety Research Institute are testing drivers’ abilities under a range of impairments to see if unique tells can be spotted by technology, with the overall goal of turning people’s attention back to the road.

University of Iowa PhD student has won a top research paper award for his investigation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a toxic chemical banned decades ago. Jason Hua, a CEE major, discovered significant emissions of PCBs from school building materials, such as glass block windows, joint caulking, and fireproof coating steel columns.

Timothy Brown, director of drugged driving research at the UI, said technology for identifying whether someone is driving while unable to do so safely is evolving and becoming more common, especially in industries where fleets of vehicles are employed and supervised. “There are a lot of forms of impairment out there, and I think there’s a renewed focus on trying to keep people safe on the roads and reducing impairment-related crashes,” Brown said.

Target named longtime company veteran Michael Fiddelke as its CEO, replacing retail industry bigwig Brian Cornell, effective February 1, 2026. Fiddelke earned a degree in industrial engineering at University of Iowa.

The National Institutes of Health recently awarded the Iowa Superfund Research Program a $2.8 million renewal grant to combat PCBs. Funding is expected to reach $15 million through 2030.

Gage MacLin is the latest University of Iowa mechanical engineering student mentored by Venanzio Cichella, ME associate professor, to work directly with NASA Langley. The collaboration benefits students while advancing technology for NASA Langley.

University of Iowa engineering professors and their students are developing next-generation manufacturing systems to make Iowa more competitive in the global marketplace with help from a $1.3 million National Science Foundation EPSCoR Graduate Fellow Program grant.

The Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) has awarded Hosin “David” Lee, a University of Iowa professor of civil and environmental engineering, with its 2025 Distinguished Service Membership Award, citing his “exemplary leadership, visionary service, and profound impact.”