The University of Iowa is bolstering its writing resources in an impressive way as construction began earlier this month on a new building for the renowned Nonfiction Writing Program.

The University of Iowa’s Undergraduate Student Government will fund the planting of a pollinator garden in April, to be placed on the north side of the footbridge by the IMU. The garden is a step in the organization’s plan to earn a “Bee Campus” designation.

After historical waves of invasive species infestations, UI campus responds to mass-killings of the Green Ash tree species by implementing an interesting kind of biodiversity: celebrity trees.

The University of Iowa, which recently became a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partner, is recognized on several of the EPA’s Top Green Power Partner Lists. Iowa is ranked No. 3 on the Top 30 College & University List of the largest green power users—the highest ranking among the six Big Ten universities on the list.

After months of study and discussion, the University of Iowa is moving forward with a recommendation to regild the Old Capitol dome. Work is expected to begin this spring and be complete by the start of the fall 2022 semester.

The University of Iowa will begin planning the next 10 years of facilities construction and upgrades, creating much-needed academic space at the core of campus and modernizing the delivery of education and patient care to Iowans.

The state Board of Regents approved a $395 million plan for a new University of Iowa hospital in North Liberty. The building will have both a hospital and academic section to accommodate the increasing number of people in need of heath care from university facilities.

The university is experimenting with biomass fuels, UI Director of Utilities Operations Ben Fish said. In particular, the university is testing the burning of oat hulls, miscanthus grass, and energy pellets alongside the remaining coal, he said.

The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced Wednesday the naming of Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium. The naming was approved by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. Slater, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound tackle for the Hawkeyes from 1918-21, was the first Black student-athlete in school history to earn All-America honors.

The UI recently was awarded a level II accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program, meeting advanced standards that recognize the UI campus as an arboretum dedicated to public education and engagement.