The moments that made 2025
The moments that made 2025
2025 has been a fantastic year for the University of Northern Iowa community! There’s so much to celebrate in our academics, our traditions, our people and our impact! Check out just a few of our highlights below.
The 150th class joined campus
It’s been a long time since the first day of classes was held at the Iowa State Normal School in 1876. Fast forward to August 2025 when UNI’s 150th class arrived – they took the coolest class photo, learned our favorite UNI traditions during Panther Welcome, and brought renewed excitement and energy to campus. While there were only 27 students in the first class ever, times sure have changed – the fall 2025 class included more than 1,500 incoming first-year students!
We celebrated 150 years of UNI — and we’re just getting started!
The UNI Sesquicentennial Celebration officially launched this year, and what a wonderful celebration it has already been. During Homecoming, campus was introduced to a brand-new tradition: ringing the Sesquicentennial Bell. After the inaugural bell ringing, students will be encouraged to “ring in” their UNI experiences when they first come to campus and “ring out” their time as students ahead of Commencement. The week-long slate of events also included the opening of the UNI Museum’s special Sesquicentennial Exhibit, celebrating UNI’s rich history.
Just a few weeks after Homecoming, leaders from across campus and all over the country gathered at the Gallagher Bluedorn to give inspiring presentations during TEDxUniversity of Northern Iowa. Coinciding with the sesquicentennial theme of Tradition Meets Tomorrow, TEDxUniversity of Northern Iowa took on the theme of Creating Tomorrow, showcasing bold, innovative ideas that will help shape our future.
The campus footprint is expanding
There are big things on the horizon in the area around campus. UNI unveiled plans for a mixed-use development known as Panther District, bringing an exciting mix of restaurants, retail establishments, a hotel and housing. Once in place, it will give visitors headed to events in the UNI-Dome and McLeod Center something to enjoy, along with people who travel and reside in this developing area of west Cedar Falls.
UNI also added exciting new housing options for students with Trailside Apartments. The 10-acre property features 11 buildings that can accommodate nearly 500 residents. The facility also includes on-site parking, a pool and clubhouse, along with a basketball court and sand volleyball area.
RAGBRAI came to Cedar Falls, and UNI SHOWED UP!
In July, RAGBRAI cyclists cruised through Cedar Falls during the annual bike ride across Iowa. The stop also happened to be College Jersey Day, leading to a sea of purple among participants.
The UNI campus served as a base camp of sorts for support personnel and their vehicles, with parking lots around the UNI-Dome packed with RVs, buses and trailers. Some RAGBRAI goers spent the night in UNI residence halls or experienced a refreshing shower (and air conditioning) in the Wellness and Recreation Center. Some estimates put the number of visitors to the community around 30,000.
Among the riders was Cedar Valley Youth Cycling, a club led by two UNI staff members. Under the leadership of Jie Liu and Josh Sebree, the young cyclists logged hundreds of miles on their bikes before taking on the ultimate challenge of RAGBRAI.
There’s so much excitement around growing programs!
A ribbon cutting celebrated our newly renovated Applied Engineering Building! Funded primarily by a $40 million investment from the State of Iowa, along with approximately $3 million in donor contributions, the Applied Engineering Building represents a bold step forward in providing affordable, hands-on construction management and engineering-focused programs for students.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing, now in its second year, has experienced significant growth that has exceeded expectations. The program started with just 25 students and has quadrupled since then, exceeding projections. Meanwhile, the inaugural cohort went out to local hospitals for clinical rotations this past fall. Upgrades to nursing facilities in the Innovative Teaching and Technology Center are also nearing completion!
We also launched new accelerated options for popular degrees on campus, such as an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Degree in 3 in elementary education.
The Board of Regents now includes a UNI student!
The governor appointed UNI elementary education major Lucy Gipple to serve on the Iowa Board of Regents. As the sole student on the board, Gipple represents the more than 70,000 students who attend the University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa and Iowa State University. Lacy is a native of New Sharon, Iowa, is an Honors student, and is also active in Alpha Phi sorority and Connecting Alumni to Students (CATS). Gipple’s term will conclude in 2027 at the end of her junior year.
Panther Athletics did us proud
The Panther Train gained more momentum than ever in 2025, starting with setting a new attendance record in the McLeod Center. For the first time in 40 years, UNI Wrestling represented in all 10 weight classes at the NCAA Championships. UNI was one of just four programs in the country to qualify all ten wrestlers, outpacing both Iowa and Iowa State. UNI head wrestling coach Doug Schwab was named the National Coach of the Year, the first Panther coach to earn the honor. For a second time, Schwab was also named Big 12 Coach of the Year.
2025 also marked the first season of UNI Football under head coach Todd Stepsis. Coach Stepsis introduced a new tradition to Panther Nation known as the Panther Walk. Two and a half hours before kickoff, the Panther football team walks from the dining center to the Panther statue between the UNI-Dome and McLeod Center where fans, family and the marching band greet the team. The tradition brought a new excitement to home games.
UNI Volleyball continued its tradition of excellence, finishing the year 16-0 and winning the Missouri Valley Conference championship. The team made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament and made Panthers everywhere proud!
Panther fans experienced some awesome upgrades in the UNI-Dome
The UNI-Dome got a purple makeover in 2025! The fan experience was taken to the next level as part of its renovation. The comprehensive project provided a variety of options including premium seating, an expanded suite level and a new look that reflects the purple and gold. Party decks were added in northwest and southwest corners. Fundraising continues for future phases of the project.
We launched the Neighboring State Rate
UNI is always looking for ways to expand access to four-year degrees and the opportunities they provide. That’s why this year UNI announced the launch of Neighboring State Rate. Through this initiative, new undergraduate students who are from Iowa’s bordering states and starting school in fall 2025 pay in-state tuition. UNI’s Neighboring State Rate will help students from Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin access affordable, high-quality education while enhancing workforce-ready skills to address job shortages in the region.
One of our own was named 2025 Iowa Veteran of the Year
In spring, Marvin Carr, a 47-year-old non-traditional student at the University of Northern Iowa, walked across the McLeod Center stage to receive his diploma in Social Sciences Teaching. As a U.S. Navy veteran with six years of honorable service, Carr’s dedication and service in multiple campus organizations recently earned him the title of 2025 Iowa Military Friendly Veteran of the Year.
The recognition reflects an outstanding record of leadership and service on campus and in the community. Serving as president of both the UNI Veterans Association and UNI’s Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter, he worked to create a welcoming, supportive space for student veterans. This included helping to coordinate programming and events at the UNI Veteran Center, strengthening connections with local veteran organizations, and representing UNI at the SVA National Conference, where he earned the President of the United States Award (Silver) for logging more than 360 volunteer hours in one year.
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TK turned 15
October 2025 marked TK’s15th birthday! It’s hard to imagine a time when UNI had just one mascot — but TC’s little sister TK has only been around for 15 years. The mascot was the brainchild of UNI’s own Connie Hansen, who reflected on the process of making a mascot that has been cherished for 15 years and counting.
Our favorite reptile got a new home
One of the lighter moments of 2025 included moving a certain scaled critter to his new habitat. Wally, the smaller alligator who lives inside McCollum Science Hall, got a new home with more space to roam. Alligators have been a staple at UNI since the early 1900s. This history is proudly displayed next to Wally’s enclosure, giving the reptile’s new home a little 150 flair. Wally’s move to his new home was watched by a large crowd of his most adoring fans on campus, including President Nook himself!
