CLAS's most popular articles from the summer of 2026 share a theme: people and ideas thrive with the right support. From humanities research funding to mathematics outreach, these stories show how expertise, mentorship, and community create new possibilities across CLAS and beyond.

Following the 2022 planting of the Anne Frank horse chestnut sapling on the University of Iowa Pentacrest, the Anne Frank Initiative, an International Programs affinity group, has expanded its programming and deepened its presence across campus and in the broader community.

This summer, 109 advanced doctoral candidates are participating in the Graduate College Summer Fellowship Program. Meet four students whose fellowship-supported research is deepening our understanding of neuroscience, dual language learning, product delivery optimization, and the rise of the gig economy.

Brenda Gao (student of Japanese) has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to Taiwan for the 2026–27 academic year. To read more, click the title above!

English and creative writing alumnus Tony Tran uses language to understand the world—exploring the human side of technology while building community through culture and conversation.

For the fourth year in a row, the Anne Frank Initiative (AFI), an International Programs affinity group, welcomed more than 200 eighth-grade students from Clear Creek Amana (CCA) Community School District to the University of Iowa (UI) campus on Wednesday, May 20. Students spent half a day delving into Anne Frank’s legacy through interactive learning activities on campus. To read more, click the title above!

What began with a symbolic planting has become a dynamic network of programs, partnerships, and community engagement at Iowa. To read more, click the title above!

International Studies major María José Blanco Arias brings her passion for global engagement to her internship with Global Ties Iowa focused on the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program. To read more, click the title above!

For the summer and fall 2026 academic sessions, Study Abroad at the University of Iowa awarded more than 70 merit-based scholarships to undergraduate students participating in programs around the world. This includes many students in the LLLC. To read more, click the title above!

Three University of Iowa (UI) undergraduate students have been awarded the Richard J. Tyner Scholarship to study abroad in 2026. This year, Benjamin Chapman (German minor) and Tanvi Khadiya (International Studies major and Arabic Studies minor) were recipients. To read more, click the title above!