McKrina Lopez was recognized as a "Tippie Top 21" in 2020-21. Within the Tippie College of Business, she has been a Mentee, Mentor, and a Student Program Coordinator for the BizEdge Mentoring Program. She also participated in the 2019 Detroit Hawkeye Service Team focused on Economic Equity, and has been a Resident Mentor and Student Ambassador for the Tippie Gateway Program.

Dr. Eric Vázquez, Assistant Professor in Latina/o/x Studies, published an article on the NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America) website.

Bianca Robles-Muñoz's area of research as an undergraduate student has focused on studying the ways hard of hearing and bilingual populations process and organize language in the brain. In addition to research in the lab, she also performs community outreach and engagement work focused on addressing the need for culturally responsive care in health professions and research for historically underserved and marginalized populations.

Claire F. Fox, a scholar of literature and culture of the Americas, has been appointed by the University of Iowa as the M. F. Carpenter Professor, effective July 1, 2021. Fox has published widely in the fields of Latinx and Latin American visual art and culture, Latinx Midwest studies, and related areas, with her current research focusing on contemporary art and performance at heritage sites in the Americas.

Rene Rocha, professor in the University of Iowa Department of Political Science and faculty director of the Latina/o/x Studies program, has been named the Herman J. and Eileen S. Schmidt Chair, effective July 1, 2021. The chair is the only named, endowed faculty position at the UI designed to support and recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching, mentoring, and curriculum development.

All events will be virtual and the kickoff will be on Wednesday, May 5th at 4:00 PM. For more information and to register, go to https://cwjiowa.org/nea-big-read/

On River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks with political analysts Rene Rocha of the University of Iowa and Jonathan Hassid of Iowa State University to preview President Biden's speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night. Kieffer, Rocha and Hassid discuss how the number of migrants at the border today compares with migration before the pandemic.

Dr. Claire Fox is one of six University of Iowa Faculty members honored by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, for their exceptional contributions and sustained record of excellence. Each recipient received $1,000 and will be honored at a special awards celebration.