Campus & Community Stories & News

UNI Athletic Director David Harris

UNI's David Harris named an Athletics Director of the Year

UNI Director of Athletics David Harris has been named an Athletics Director of the Year for 2020-21 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

Harris is in his fifth year leading the departments and is one of four FCS Directors of Athletics to earn the ADOY honor for 2020-21. The other honorees are Wofford’s Richard Johnson, Princeton’s Mollie Marcoux Samaan and fellow Valley Football AD David Herbster from South Dakota.

UNI campus

UNI announces fall semester plans

The University of Northern Iowa recently announced plans to return to a higher level of in-person campus classes and operations for the Fall 2021 semester.UNI campus

UNI Business and Community Services

UNI’s Business and Community Services continues to help gauge the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Iowa

The University of Northern Iowa Institute for Decision Making (IDM) and Strategic Marketing Services (SMS), in partnership with the Iowa Economic Development Authority, recently launched the third Iowa COVID-19 Business Impact Survey to assess the current impacts of the pandemic on Iowa’s businesses and nonprofit organizations.UNI Business and Community Services

Black educator Ada S. McKinley

Award-winning research explores ‘hidden histories’

A UNI professor has helped shine a spotlight on an important Black voice in Chicago history. Ada S. McKinley was a Black educator who founded a settlement house in 1919 to help veterans returning from World War I and homeless families migrating from the South. Her work was continued by others and today the Ada S. McKinley Community Services helps more than 7,000 people a year in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. 

UNI football coach Mark Farley

Panthers win big

While many things were unusual about the past year in sports, UNI’s tradition of excellence on and off the playing field remains unchanged. 

Transfer honor roll badge

UNI again named a top university for transfer students

The University of Northern Iowa has been named to Phi Theta Kappa’s Transfer Honor Roll for the third time in four years. 

UNI graduation cap

UNI announces updated plan for spring commencement

The University of Northern Iowa is inviting our spring 2021 graduates to celebrate their accomplishments at modified, in-person commencement ceremonies inside the UNI-DOME in May. 

In order to comply with social distancing guidelines, three separate ceremonies for bachelor’s and master’s candidates will be held in the UNI-DOME from May 7-8. Plans for a separate doctoral candidate ceremony are expected to be announced within a few weeks.UNI graduation cap  

Gallagher Bluedorn

Tammy Pescatelli and Orlando Leyba bring comedy night to Gallagher Bluedorn

Comedy night is coming live and in-person to the Gallagher Bluedorn. Tammy Pescatelli and Orlando Leyba will bring their stand-up comedy on Saturday, March 27, 2021 to the University of Northern Iowa’s Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. 

UNI student Ali Guzman

UNI prepares first-generation college student to take over family business

Ali Guzman is ready to play an active role in her family’s business when she graduates in May 2021. The UNI business and marketing major has gotten the training she needs to develop the grocery store, which caters to a growing cultural market in Iowa.

“I want to give back to the store and make it better. We need to modernize,” she said. “[My parents] are very old school, and me being in marketing, I’m all about digitizing. The customers always evolve and my goal is to just evolve with it and make it better and bigger.”

UNI campus

UNI Gallery of Art to honor Elena Curris with online biennial design exhibition

The University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art will present an online exhibit of art produced by Iowa middle and high school students during the pandemic.