Campus & Community

Walnut Street church

Bringing new life to a Waterloo icon

UNI alumni, faculty and students have joined a local effort to restore the beloved Walnut Street Baptist Church in Waterloo and bring the iconic buildings back to life as a community center.  
RAGBRAI riders greeted by UNI alum’s artwork

RAGBRAI riders greeted by UNI alum’s artwork

The estimated 10,000 cyclists pedaling into Waterloo today are rolling under a whimsical passage built from bicycle parts. It’s the latest piece of public art from Victoria Reed (‘10) an accomplished sculptor who has public art installations throughout Iowa. This one will be moved onto the city’s bike trails after RAGBRAI ends. 
University of Northern Iowa construction management program is experiencing a boom

Construction program booms

UNI senior Aaron Brown is already weighing three job offers - and he won’t even graduate until December. The construction management major is part of a Panther program that has doubled in size over the last five years as industry demand accelerated. UNI is the only university in Iowa that offers a four-year construction management degree. 
Jess Cruz, outreach educator and exhibit preparator for the UNI Museum.

From UNI Museum, helping make campus more inclusive

Jess Cruz, outreach educator and exhibit preparator for the UNI Museum, doesn’t just help prepare students for careers in museum studies through her work. As a proud Hispanic and bisexual woman, Cruz also serves as an advocate for students across campus.
UNI alum DaQuan Campbell interacts with a customers at the Waterloo Urban Farmers Market.

UNI alum spreads love for local foods, revitalizes Waterloo farmer’s market

Waterloo native DaQuan Campbell, a business management graduate, has grown the market from 15 vendors to more than 40 while launching a fresh produce venture of his own. “I wanted to make sure it had an impact on the community,” he says. 
A rendering of a new practice football field.

New practice field part of $4 million investment in Panther football

UNI celebrated a generous donation by Doug and Ann Goschke that will lead to the construction of the The Doug and Ann Goschke Outdoor Practice Facility - In Memory of Junean Goschke on Tuesday. The modernized field will include an oversized turf field, lights and fencing and is part of more than $4 million in investments in UNI football that are currently in progress and are scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2021.
Belinda Creighton-Smith

Community organizer, UNI instructor reflects on Juneteenth

With the passage of a long-awaited, landmark bill that made Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of African-American slaves shortly after the end of the Civil War, a federal holiday, Inside UNI spoke with local pastor and instructor in the department of social work Belinda Creighton-Smith about the long-celebrated day. Creighton-Smith spoke about the role the murder of George Floyd played in increasing national attention on Juneteenth, the local celebrations planned and the racial issues in…
Janel Alleyne

UNI assistant dean paves her own path

Janel Alleyne has built a vibrant 13-year career in higher education, but her journey has been unique. Born in Guyana, South America and raised in New York, Alleyne grew up with dreams of becoming a corporate attorney. But impactful educational and professional experiences, combined with own passion and determination, helped her carve her own path and become a role model for diverse students at UNI.