Reminder: UI forum on flood mitigation is Thursday

This is a reminder that the University of Iowa's Flood Mitigation Task Force and Campus Planning Committee will host an open forum at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday March 26 in the UI Libraries' Shambaugh Auditorium. The hosting groups will provide updates on the ongoing process of evaluating options and strategies for protecting the campus from future flood events. The forum will then be open to questions and comments from the audience.

All interested members of the community including UI faculty, staff, and students as well as other residents of the surrounding municipalities are welcome to attend. For more information contact Gregg Oden, 319-335-2455 or gregg-oden@uiowa.edu.

Campus, public invited to UI forum on flood mitigation March 26

The University of Iowa's Flood Mitigation Task Force and Campus Planning Committee will host an open forum at 7:30 p.m. Thursday March 26 in the UI Libraries' Shambaugh Auditorium. The hosting groups will provide updates on the ongoing process of evaluating options and strategies for protecting the campus from future flood events. The forum will then be open to questions and comments from the audience.

All interested members of the community including UI faculty, staff, and students as well as other residents of the surrounding municipalities are welcome to attend. For more information contact Gregg Oden, 319-335-2455 or gregg-oden@uiowa.edu.

Group invites flood victims to use writing for healing

University of Iowa faculty, staff and students affected by the flood of 2008 are invited to share their stories of the disaster and its aftermath through written expression or journaling in a safe, supportive community for six weeks starting March 26 at the Johnson County Crisis Center, 1121 Gilbert Court in Iowa City.

Hosted by the center, the "Swept Away-Brought Together" writers group is open to people with all levels of writing skill. It will meet from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on six consecutive Thursdays: March 26 and April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.

Group members will be invited to share their heart's needs and use poetry, prose and essays as a source of healing and recovery and as a creative way to make meaning out of life's traumatic circumstances. Participants will be encouraged to record events, describe places and belongings, and explore emotions, thoughts and beliefs that came with the waters of last June.

To reserve a spot contact Diane Yagla, flood case advocate, 319-351-0140.

UI Museum of Art to open IMU and Levitt Center galleries; receives NEH grant

The University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA) -- whose former building was severely damaged during the flood of 2008 -- has received an Emergency Flood Assistance grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to help turn the Iowa Memorial Union's (IMU) Richey Ballroom into an art gallery.

This gallery is one of three on-campus spaces specifically designed for classroom use that the UIMA will open for viewing this year. Two of the new art venues will be on the IMU's third floor; the third will be in the Levitt Center for University Advancement's Stanley Gallery. [more]

FEMA announces financing options for flood-damaged UI buildings

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will finance either the replacement or restoration and mitigation of two major University of Iowa building complexes damaged in the flood of June 2008, UI President Sally Mason announced today. Those buildings include Hancher Auditorium, Voxman Music Building and Clapp Recital Hall and the Art Building East complex.

"It is important to understand that FEMA is not directing the university to replace the Hancher/Voxman/Clapp complex or the Art Building East complex," Mason said. "The university, with proper campus consultation, will examine the costs and benefits of both options and make a recommendation to the Board of Regents as soon as possible." Additional background information on the FEMA determinations will be provided to the Board of Regents at its meeting on Feb. 3 in Ankeny. [Full Story]

NOTE: Listen to an mp3 audio file of today's media briefing on the flood recovery. Or watch it when UITV broadcasts the briefing at 6:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. today, Monday, Jan. 26; 12:45 a.m., 10 a.m. and 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27; and 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28.

University of Iowa Museum of Art collection will return to home state

An intra-state alliance will soon bring the University of Iowa Museum of Art's (UIMA) collection back to Iowa.

The Figge Art Museum, Iowa's oldest art museum, has offered the UIMA significant space for display and storage of its permanent collection, Museum of Art-organized exhibitions and traveling shows in its three-year-old, state-of-the-art museum building in Davenport, Iowa.

"The Figge Art Museum is honored to partner with the University of Iowa Museum of Art," said Figge Director Sean O'Harrow. "Having the UIMA at the Figge will allow Iowa residents and tourists to visit the banks of the Mississippi and appreciate two great collections from two great institutions. The Figge is looking forward to hosting our new friends and celebrating art in Eastern Iowa." [Full Story]

University Theatres celebrates return to Theatre Building with 'As You Like It'

The University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts will celebrate its return to the Theatre Building with a University Theatres Mainstage production of Shakespeare's sunny romantic comedy "As You Like It," opening at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, in the David Thayer Theatre. Additional performances will be at 8 p.m. Feb. 6-7 and 11-15, and at 2 p.m. Feb. 8 and 15.

The play includes some of Shakespeare's most famous lines -- including "All the world's a stage," "too much of a good thing," "for ever and a day" and "sweet are the uses of adversity" -- and comic devices that are familiar to Shakespeare's audiences: gender-bending disguises, mistaken identities, games of make-believe and the contrast between the simplicity and hardships of the natural world and the intrigue, deceit and artifice of human society. [Full Story]

Participants sought for local StoryCorps flood stories project

The devastating flood that hit Iowa last summer made headlines around the state, nation and world. Yet many stories could be lost if not preserved -- or worse yet, simply remain untold. University of Iowa Libraries -- along with university and community partners -- plans to document and preserve these stories of everyday heroism and kindness by launching a StoryCorps-style oral history project titled "Under the Current: Collecting Stories from the Flood." (more)

Final Friday Night Concert to celebrate flood recovery progress

The final performance in this summer's Iowa City Press-Citizen Friday Night Concert Series will be more than a great musical event. It'll be a chance for the community to mark the end of a long wet summer, note the incredible progress the area has made since the Iowa River flooded in June and -- of course -- have a good time.

The City of Iowa City's Summer of the Arts, United Way, the University of Iowa and local government officials have declared the Sept. 5 concert, featuring the reggae/ska band Public Property, a "Community Celebration." In addition to the performance, which is sponsored by MidWestOne Bank, the night will include special activities for children and brief remarks by community leaders who want to thank the thousands of people who pitched in to reclaim the land from the river. (more)

Mold facts now available en español

A fact sheet offering answers to questions about how to identify and eliminate mold caused by flooding is now available in Spanish in PDF format by clicking here. The fact sheet was produced by the University of Iowa College of Public Health and the University Hygienic Laboratory. For more flood-related health tips, go here.

UI engineers begin yearlong study of flood pollutants in Cedar Rapids Aug. 26

The Flood of 2008 and the pollutants it left in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will be the focus of a yearlong, $100,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) study by University of Iowa researchers in cooperation with the Linn County Board of Supervisors beginning Tuesday, Aug. 26.

Project principal investigators Keri Hornbuckle and Thanos Papanicolaou, professors of civil and environmental engineering and researchers at IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering, say that they and about a dozen UI undergraduate and graduate students will begin collecting soil samples from lawns adjacent to roadways and grassy land within the flood zone of the city at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26.

"We hope to determine the major sources of the mud and sediments that the flood waters left behind," Hornbuckle said. "We will measure radionuclides, stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon, and persistent organic pollutants such as PCBs (persistent, toxic industrial chemicals banned decades ago) and chlordanes (insecticides used on lawns, gardens, corn and other crops) in Cedar Rapids sediments to trace the suspension, transport and deposition of sediments within Cedar Rapids.

"Although much of the mud and muck has disappeared, we are confident that the chemicals needed for their research remain," she said. She added that Linda Langston, chair of the Linn County Board of Supervisors, will be a key person in the overview of data collection sites.

Researchers will be equipped with small shovels, sampling jars and bags, GPS units, and clipboards. The goal is to collect about 400 soil samples from grassy areas of the city, with additional sampling conducted in the Cedar River and Cedar Lake via a boat through core sampling and bed load sediment measurements. Used as a cooling lake for the Sixth Street Generating Station and having an average depth of less than four feet, Cedar Lake is especially important because it is contaminated with chlordanes and PCBs.

"The origin of the sediments that now cover the city of Cedar Rapids is the focus of this project. We hypothesize that the sediments originated from at least three major sources including in-stream, stream bank sediments, and Cedar Lake sediments," Hornbuckle said.

Papanicolaou noted that the erosion of bank sediments is a key process in river dynamics, affecting a wide range of physical, ecological and socio-economic issues within a river drainage area and that the impact of bank erosion can be severe and further exacerbated due to flooding.

Hornbuckle and Papanicolaou said that the project and its findings will be of interest to the city as well as their fellow engineers. The project will use state-of-the-art measurement techniques, and the strategy being tested can be used by other researchers to track sediments in similar floods.

The UI researchers are scheduled to report their findings to the National Science Foundation by July 2009.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: Keri Hornbuckle, UI College of Engineering, 319-331-3053, keri-hornbuckle@uiowa.edu; Thanos Papanicolaou, UI College of Engineering, 319-321-0483, athanasios-papanicolaou@uiowa.edu; Gary Galluzzo, University News Services, 319-384-0009, gary-galluzzo@uiowa.edu

NOTE TO EDITORS: News media are invited to attend the Tuesday, Aug. 26, kick-off of the Cedar Rapids flood pollutants study. UI researchers will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the intersection of 3rd Street SE and 11th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids prior to dispersing throughout the city to collect soil samples at various sites. Reporters can learn the current location of UI researchers by contacting UI Principal Investigator Keri Hornbuckle via cell phone at 319-331-3053.

WRAC opens for business in regular location

The University of Iowa Women's Resource and Action Center, located at 130 N. Madison Street in Iowa City, re-opened the week of July 21 after having to move its staff and services to various satellite locations in the community June 13 due to the flooding.

Although the WRAC regular location was closed, staff members continued to provide services from these various satellite locations and worked out of their homes for the past month.

Activities such as support and discussion groups, which normally met in the WRAC building, were held in other spaces such as Hillel and the Iowa City Public Library, and staff continued to respond to requests for various types of assistance by members of the public, as well as plan and prepare for the fall semester.

For more information on upcoming events or ongoing services offered by WRAC,
visit http://www.uiowa.edu/~wrac/ or call 319-335-1486.

UI seeks pregnant women and new moms for study on emotional impact of flooding

Even under the best circumstances, women may experience a variety of emotions during and after pregnancy, ranging from happy and elated to moody, irritable and depressed. Now University of Iowa researchers want to study how the floods of 2008 have affected the emotional experiences of pregnant women and new moms.

Researchers will examine the flood's impact on mothers and their babies by comparing the experiences of those who were and were not affected by flooding. The study will investigate the women's emotional and stressful life experiences and how those experiences might influence mother and infant health.

Women who are currently pregnant and women who delivered babies in Johnson, Linn and Black Hawk counties after June 10, 2008, are invited to participate in the study by the Iowa Depression and Clinical Research Center. Participants must be 18 or older and will be compensated.

"We know from many studies that the experience of life stress can affect health, including the health of pregnant women and new mothers," said UI Psychology Professor and Starch Faculty Fellow Michael O'Hara, director of the Iowa Flood Study. "We also know that maternal stress can affect the developing fetus and even newborns, although we don't yet understand why these effects can sometimes be beneficial and sometimes be harmful.

"But only a few earlier studies have prospectively examined the effects of a natural disaster on pregnancy and the health of the mother and baby. By studying women soon after the flooding, we hope to expand our knowledge of the effects of severe stressors on their health so that eventually we will be able to develop interventions to prevent any ill effects that might be observed."

Researchers aim to include 400 women in the study and to assess the development of their infants after birth. Involvement is voluntary, and participants can decide to stop taking part at any point.

Participants will complete questionnaires and phone interviews and provide saliva samples. Women who complete all portions of the study will receive $60 to $85 compensation for their efforts.

The surveys ask about emotional experiences, social relationships, ways of coping with stress, pregnancy concerns, demographic information, and the impact of flooding. Phone interviews will involve questions about mood and feelings, appetite and eating habits, sleep habits, use of alcohol or drugs, physical symptoms, and recent life events that have affected participants' health. Saliva samples will be collected on two consecutive days to measure cortisol, an important stress hormone.

The researchers will request access to the medical records following delivery to evaluate pregnancy, labor and delivery outcomes, as well as the baby's gender, birth weight, gestational age at delivery, and APGAR score. All information collected for the study will be kept confidential using a coding system.

For more information on the study, call 319-335-0307 or 1-866-UIWOMEN (1-866-849-6636) or e-mail IDCRC@uiowa.edu and mention the flood study.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: Michael O'Hara, UI Department of Psychology, 319-335-2460, mike-ohara@uiowa.edu; Nicole Riehl, University News Services, 319-384-0070, nicole-riehl@uiowa.edu

Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids to host flood relief forum for immigrants, minorities July 18

The Islamic Center of Center Rapids will host a Flood Relief Forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 18, at the center, located at 2999 First Avenue SW in Cedar Rapids. The focus of the forum is to help educate people about financial assistance for immigrant and minority victims of recent natural disasters and flooding.

For the many immigrants whose faith demands they shun the receiving or paying of interest, the traditional avenues of low-interest government loans to help rebuild what they lost in a natural disaster is not an option. While for many minorities, fear of the government or the process of filing for relief has kept many minorities from coming forward to claim their right to recovery funds.

Since the water receded leaving destruction in its path, many agencies have recognized the overwhelming need for recovery funding that falls outside the standard venues. A number of organizations have stepped forward to provide alternative sources in the form of no-interest loans and grants to help those who would not normally be eligible for assistance, or for those who have limits on what aid they can accept.

During the forum, the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids will help educate such minorities and others about what recovery help is available to them. Representatives of FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and local government and aid agencies have been invited to provide information and services to those who suffered loss of property, jobs and business resulting from the recent flooding. Additionally, volunteers will help victims fill out and submit any forms required to receive aid. Spanish and Arabic speakers will be available for those who require language interpretation.

Refreshments will be served, and the forum is free and open to the public, regardless of faith. For more information, contact Miriam Amer at 319-573-6617, or by e-mail at mzmea611@yahoo.com.

UI awards first bid to renovate flood-affected buildings

The construction firm that built the Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building, which was completed and opened for classes in January 2005, has been awarded the contract to restore that structure and an adjacent classroom building through a competitive bid process.

Flooding this summer caused extensive electrical and mechanical damage to both buildings. With four companies submitting bids, Miron Construction of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has emerged as the low bidder with a $2.8 million bid. The firm will restore the buildings to pre-flood condition. Work on the two buildings will begin Monday.

According to Sadie Greiner, associate director of construction management in UI Facilities Management, Miron Construction will use many of the same personnel on this project who were involved in the original building of Adler. Completion of both facilities is likely by mid-September, she said, with Becker slated to open by the start of classes on Aug. 25.

"We were very pleased with this bid and that the low bid was submitted by the firm that actually built one of these buildings," Greiner said. " We are well on our way to rebuilding the University of Iowa after the flood so we can make it functional again for our students by fall."

The Philip D. Adler building houses the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, along with the Daily Iowan and the Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature. The Becker Communication Studies Building, located adjacent to Adler, is the home of the Communication Studies Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

STORY SOURCE: University Relations, 101 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1000

MEDIA CONTACT: Linda Kettner, university spokesperson, 319-384-0030, linda-kettner@uiowa.edu

Tansey offers advice on coping with emotional trauma of flooding

KXIC radio has conducted recent interviews, available in audio, with University of Iowa staff about initiatives related to the recent flooding. To hear the most recent interview in Windows Media Player, Quicktime Player or Real Player, or to read a transcript of the interview, follow the link below:

After the Flood-Watch for Warning Signs: It is hard to believe it has almost been a month since the flooding. The damage is breathtaking and estimates so far total in the tens of billions of dollars. If you are one of many people affected by flooding, you know it is more than the issue of cleaning up. There is real emotional loss that people are also dealing with. Those who have never experienced a traumatic situation or who have never dealt with depression and anxiety may underestimate the seriousness of mental illnesses. Dr. Janeta Tansey, an associate professor and psychiatrist at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, offers information about the signs we should look for in ourselves and our neighbors dealing with loss.

Weiner discusses High Ground for Cancer Patients initiative

KXIC radio has conducted recent interviews, available in audio, with University of Iowa staff about initiatives related to the recent flooding. To hear the most recent interview in Windows Media Player, Quicktime Player or Real Player, or to read a transcript of the interview, follow the link below:

High Ground for Cancer Patients: Anyone listening to or reading the news knows Iowa has had more that its share of unusual and devastating natural disasters this year. If you live in an Iowa county that has been declared a federal disaster area and you or a loved are dealing with cancer, there is help available. George Weiner, MD, medical oncologist, hematologist, and director of Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about High Ground for Cancer Patients.

Mayflower will open on time

The University is delighted to announce that Mayflower Residence Hall will be open and ready for move-in by August 23, 2008, as originally planned. The building has passed all structural inspections and flood recovery employees, contractors, and University Housing staff have been working in the building since June 28 to determine necessary repairs. We’ll be working 24/7 to ensure that the building is ready to go this fall.

Although not all first-floor areas will be available when the building opens, they will become available throughout the fall semester. These areas include a 24-hour desk and mail center, computer lab, fitness center, vending area, convenience store, game room, and study/meeting spaces.

The ability to open Mayflower will have a remarkably positive impact on the residence hall community at Iowa. It means that students who have already been assigned to Mayflower will be able to occupy their originally-assigned rooms (unless they were assigned to first-floor rooms, in which case we will relocate them to another room in Mayflower). In addition, students assigned to other residence halls who received letters turning their single rooms into doubles and their double rooms into triples will have their singles and doubles back!

If you’ve applied for housing and haven’t received your assignment yet, please be patient. Our assignments have been delayed because of the flood. Our next group of assignments will be sent in mid-July. If you haven’t applied for campus housing, we still have space and will accept applications through the month of July. You can apply online through your Admissions Profile on ISIS.

If you have questions, call the University Housing Contracts and Assignments Office at 319-335-3009, weekdays from 8-5.

We look forward to your arrival in August!

Von Stange, Ed.D.
Director of University Housing
The University of Iowa
8 Burge Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242

UI health officials offer video, tip sheet on dealing with mold

Mold is an environmental hazard found at extreme levels in flooded homes and office buildings, but workers involved in cleanup operations can protect themselves by planning appropriately. 

Peter Thorne, Ph.D., UI professor of occupational and environmental health, discusses the hazards of mold and safety tips for cleanup in a video -- the latest installment for Flood Recovery: A Special Public Health Series on the UI Flood Recovery Web site. Included with the video is a PDF offering tips for removing mold.

Summer Writing Festival adds sessions July 26-Aug. 1

The Iowa Summer Writing Festival, which was forced by the floods to cancel several sessions in June, has added an additional weekend (July 26-27) and weeklong (July 27-Aug 1) session to the end of its 2008 schedule.

The festival, which is presented by the University of Iowa Division of Continuing Education, scheduled the additional sessions to provide opportunities for registrants whose sessions were canceled, as well as those who had not yet registered.

The added sessions will include a series of free public events at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, July 28 through Aug. 1, in Room 101 of the UI Biology Building East. Known as "Elevenses," these hourlong presentations feature issues of special interest to writers with a different speaker each day.

For information about the added sessions and registration materials, visit the festival's Web site.