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.”

A new tool to help patients with chronic lung diseases, being studied at the University of Iowa College of Engineering, has received a $2.55 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

UI engineering college dean Ann McKenna was interviewed about Ortberg, a UI engineering alum. “What I’ve heard is all positive,” she said. “It doesn’t surprise me that Kelly would have taken this on, because that’s just the kind of person he is.”

A new National Science Foundation-backed project led by Professor Soura Dasgupta at the University of Iowa College of Engineering is pioneering faster, more accurate, and efficient generative AI systems for creating images, text, and other content.