IBA and LSAMP had 17 students graduating this Spring! This group of students showed their resiliency weathering the challenges of conducting undergraduate research during a pandemic. We will miss all of these amazing students and we can't wait to see what they will accomplish as the move through their education and careers!

Congratulations to alumna, Rikki Laser, for receiving a 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)! Laser graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. While at Iowa, she was an Iowa Biosciences Academy Scholar and a Latham Fellow (2018-19). She is currently pursuing a PhD in Pyschology at Cornell University.

Congratulations to alumna, Rikki Laser, for receiving a 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)! Laser graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. While at Iowa, she was an Iowa Biosciences Academy Scholar and a Latham Fellow (2018-19). She is currently pursuing a PhD in Pyschology at Cornell University.

Congratulations to Dr. Lori Adams for receiving the inaugural Advancing Understanding in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Award! The purpose of this award is to recognize research, scholarship, or creative expression conducted within the past three-year period that advances our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Congratulations to IBA Scholar, Jia Zhao, for being accepted into the Biology Graduate Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)! Jia is majoring in Biology at the University of Iowa and is an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Dr. Bin He in the Department of Biology.

Congratulations to Dr. Lori Adams for receiving the inaugural Advancing Understanding in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Award! The purpose of this award is to recognize research, scholarship, or creative expression conducted within the past three-year period that advances our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We are sad to announce that Jeff Murray will be stepping down from his role as Co-PI for IBA. Jeff has been involved in IBA’s efforts for over 20 years – mentoring students, assisting with grant writing, providing his perspectives on direct training programs as well as training and preparing future scientists. Although Jeff is retiring, he will continue his research on several grants and will continue to consult for the Gates Foundation.

Tori Forbes is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and has been an advocate for the IBA and LSAMP programs.  She has mentored multiple students over the last few years. We are looking forward to an amazing new partnership!

The following story was written by Brianna Lupo, a 2018-19 Latham Fellow and a third-year student pursuing a B.S. in Biochemistry. As a Fellow, she has developed Readsearch, a series of articles highlighting the undergraduate research experience at the University of Iowa from both the Principal Investigator (PI) and undergraduate student viewpoints.