Alumni Stories & News

UNI alum Jake Manternach

From UNI to the Super Bowl: Graphic design alum making his mark with NFL team

When Jake Manternach arrived at the University of Northern Iowa as a transfer student in 2015, he wasn’t aware that his current position as a graphic designer for the Super Bowl-bound Tampa Bay Buccaneers even existed.

Immigration lawyer Heliodoro “Helio” Moreno, Jr.

UNI alum fighting for immigrant rights

Immigration lawyer Heliodoro “Helio” Moreno, Jr. — the first in his family to graduate high school and college — credits two of his UNI political science professors with playing key roles in his law-school entry and legal career.

His legal expertise has been especially crucial as the federal government has sought to restrict immigration. Immigration lawyer Heliodoro Moreno

UNI alum Kurt Warner

Cast set as remarkable journey of UNI alum Kurt Warner moves closer to silver screen

The remarkable underdog story of Kurt Warner’s journey from a backup quarterback on the University of Northern Iowa football team to an NFL Hall of Famer is set to hit the silver screen.

UNI campus

UNI accounting program giving graduates a head start

When looking at institutions, Derek Hertges knew he wanted an accounting program that would prepare him for the real world. 

Thanks to the Masters of Accounting program, a growing venture from the UNI College of Business Administration, he was given the tools to thrive in his professional career. The program seeks to get students into the workforce faster and more prepared than peers at other institutions by allowing them to take classes that cover undergraduate and graduate requirements simultaneously. 

UNI alumnus Ryan Hannam

A new beginning

Ryan Hannam was living the dream of any Iowa high school football star - playing in the NFL after a successful college football career at the University of Northern Iowa.

UNI alumna Marilyn J. Bohl

UNI alum a computer science pioneer

As a teenager in 1950’s small-town Iowa, Marilyn J. Bohl dreamed of becoming a sports writer. A high school guidance counselor advised against it, saying it wasn’t a viable career for a woman. 

“You’re a smart girl Marilyn, you’ll figure it out,” was the counselor’s advice. 

A medieval manuscript

Remaking history

It’s not hard to see why Alison Altstatt’s friends call her “the Indiana Jones of medieval manuscripts.” 

Though Altstatt may not be fighting Hollywood villains while sporting a fedora, her adventures have taken her around the globe – discovering long lost artifacts of the past.

Her mission: to recover and reassemble the pages of a precious 13th-century musical manuscript – all while balancing a full teaching schedule at the UNI School of Music.

The first piece of the puzzle

Joy Cole Corning

Pioneering UNI alum receives posthumous award for a lifetime of service

A University of Northern Iowa alumna and pioneering political figure in women’s and family rights was posthumously honored with the 2020 Women of Achievement Award, which will be commemorated with a plaque on the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge in Des Moines.  

An Iowa public servant and politician, Joy Cole Corning served as the 44th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 1991-1999 and during her time in politics spearheaded issues that celebrated diversity, protected women from violence and improved the lives of foster children. She died in 2017 at age 84.

UNI student Carter Nordman runs for the Iowa House of Representatives.

UNI student elected to Iowa House of Representatives

Carter Nordman was 11 years old when his grandmother introduced him to Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley at the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. It was Nordman’s first introduction to the world of politics and he was hooked.

Ten years later, on Nov. 3, the University of Northern Iowa senior business management major was elected as a Republican to the 19th District of the Iowa House of Representatives, and at 22, he will enter as the youngest legislator in the chamber.

UNI doctoral student Glynis Worthington

A crowning achievement

When the pandemic hit, some people turned to baking bread, binge-watching Netflix or endlessly scrolling through TikTok. 

University of Northern Iowa doctoral student Glynis Worthington decided to enter a beauty pageant. 

It was just the latest in a lifetime of unconventional but successful choices for Worthington, a 59-year-old Cedar Falls resident with a strong aversion to boredom. She beat out competitors decades younger to win the Mrs. Iowa crown last month.