The Dare to Discover campaign showcases researchers, scholars, and creators from across the University of Iowa on banners throughout downtown Iowa City. The campaign is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Click on the student profiles to learn more about the personal stories behind the faces of discovery and creativity.

Amanda Adams

Amanda Adams

Discovers new fossil species

Graduate student, Geoscience

Read more »
Yuri Bakach

Yuri Bakach

Explores robot deliveries

Ph.D. student, Applied Mathematical and Computational Sciences

Read more »
Angie Benda

Angie Benda

Evaluates driver readiness

Undergraduate student, Psychology and Political Science

Read more »
Anamar Blanes

Anamar Blanes

Captures radioactive waste

Undergraduate student, Chemistry

Read more »
Austin Bruce

Austin Bruce

Decodes the brain's clock

Ph.D. student, Neuroscience

Read more »
Tori Cassady

Tori Cassady

Studies volcanic eruptions

Undergraduate student, Microbiology, Biochemistry

Read more »
Maria Chusin

Maria Chusin

Investigates art crimes

Undergraduate student, Art History, Printmaking

Read more »
Sabrina Claman

Sabrina Claman

Explores farm culture

Undergraduate student, Drawing, Japanese

Read more »
Peyton Coder

Peyton Coder

Enhances LGBTQ+ care

Undergraduate student, Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies

Read more »
Kathryn Crawford

Kathryn Crawford

Protects musicians' hearing

Ph.D. student, Occupational and Environmental Health

Read more »
Mackenzie Cross

Mackenzie Cross

Traces umami receptors

Undergraduate student, Anthropology

Read more »
Austin Doak

Austin Doak

Measures air pollution

Undergraduate student, Chemical Engineering

Read more »
Carina Donne

Carina Donne

Tracks invasive species

Graduate student, iBio

Read more »
Alexis Ellis

Alexis Ellis

Enhances vaccines

Ph.D. student, Chemistry

Read more »
Robyn Espinosa

Robyn Espinosa

Sheds light on childhood trauma

Graduate student, Occupational and Environmental Health

Read more »
Taha Gesalla

Taha Gesalla

Dissects decision making

Undergraduate student, Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Arabic

Read more »
Juan Gudino

Juan Gudino

Examines health inequities

Graduate student, Epidemiology

Read more »
Molly Hall-Martin

Molly Hall-Martin

Improves equity in education

Ph.D. student, Higher Education and Student Affairs

Read more »
Lucas Halvorson

Lucas Halvorson

Predicts health costs

Undergraduate student, Economics

Read more »
Yareli Iraiz Mendoza

Yareli Iraiz Mendoza

Advocates for veterans

Ph.D. student, Higher Education and Student Affairs

Read more »
Joseph Kettelkamp

Joseph Kettelkamp

Enhances brain imaging

Undergraduate student, Biomedical Engineering

Read more »
Nicole Krois

Nicole Krois

Improves dental education

Doctor of Dental Surgery student

Read more »
Caroline LaRoy

Caroline LaRoy

Advances dental fillings

Doctor of Dental Surgery student

Read more »
Elyse Laures

Elyse Laures

Accurizes pain assessments

Ph.D. student, Nursing

Read more »
Jake Lensing

Jake Lensing

Enhances dental repair

Doctor of Dental Surgery student

Read more »
Johanna López Velador

Johanna López Velador

Examines Chicanx history

Ph.D. student, History

Read more »
Jaison Marks

Jaison Marks

Commercializes novel therapies

Graduate student, Biomedical Engineering, Finance

Read more »
Naomi Marroquin

Naomi Marroquin

Records immigrant stories

Undergraduate student, Global Health Studies Major, Latino Studies

Read more »
Gina Martin

Gina Martin

Improves trauma therapy

Graduate student, Counselor Education and Supervision

Read more »
Caroline Meek

Caroline Meek

Explores writing in community

Undergraduate student, English & Creative Writing

Read more »
Darcy Metcalfe

Darcy Metcalfe

Proposes new bioethics

Ph.D. student, Religious Studies

Read more »
Marissa Mueller

Marissa Mueller

Evaluates activity trackers

Undergraduate student, Biomedical Engineering

Read more »
Margaret Mungai

Margaret Mungai

Examines causes of diabetes

Undergraduate student, Biology, Spanish

Read more »
Joseph O'Brien

Joseph O'Brien

Develops new pain therapies

Ph.D. student, Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry

Read more »
Journey Penney

Journey Penney

Targets Huntington's disease

Graduate student, Biostatistics

Read more »
Alejandro Pérez

Alejandro Pérez

Researches bilingualism

Ph.D. student, Foreign Language and ESL Education

Read more »
Bernardo Pohl Duarte

Bernardo Pohl Duarte

Examines desirability bias

Undergraduate student

Read more »
Jackson Russo

Jackson Russo

Designs pain-relief gels

Graduate student in Pharmaceutics

Read more »
Avik Samanta

Avik Samanta

Engineers materials with lasers

Ph.D. student, Mechanical Engineering

Read more »
Suman Sherwani

Suman Sherwani

Launches rockets into space

Undergraduate student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Read more »
Emma Sillman

Emma Sillman

Surveys medication trends

Undergraduate student, Global Health Studies, Economics

Read more »
Muhammed Sit

Muhammed Sit

Develops A.I. for social good

Ph.D. student, Informatics

Read more »
Mackenzie Spicer

Mackenzie Spicer

Uncovers causes of Parkinson's

Ph.D. student, Molecular Medicine

Read more »
Elliot Stalter

Elliot Stalter

Seeks cures for blindness

Undergraduate student, Violin Performance

Read more »
Yan Sweat

Yan Sweat

Traces genetic origins

Ph.D. student, Cell and Developmental Biology

Read more »
Camilla Tabasso

Camilla Tabasso

Controls autonomous systems

Undergraduate student, Mechanical Engineering

Read more »
Michelle Tamplin

Michelle Tamplin

Studies radiation side effects

Ph.D. student, Free Radical and Radiation Biology

Read more »
Priyanka Vakkalanka

Priyanka Vakkalanka

Improves veterans' healthcare

Ph.D. student, Epidemiology

Read more »
Paula Valiño

Paula Valiño

Delves into brain development

Undergraduate student, Biochemistry

Read more »
Christie Vogler

Christie Vogler

Excavates Roman history

Ph.D. student, Anthropology

Read more »
Emad Wafa

Emad Wafa

Develops cancer vaccines

Ph.D. student, Pharmaceutics and Translational Therapeutics

Read more »
Qi Zhang

Qi Zhang

Improves workplace belonging

Ph.D. student, Management and Entrepreneurship

Read more »