Riverside’s Neyland among student researchers at UI ‘Dare to Discover’ campaign

As students grab coffee on the way to class and as Iowa Citians commute to work, they may run into familiar faces on -- or above -- the sidewalks as street banners in downtown Iowa City are now highlighting the work of 70 University of Iowa undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers and scholars.

Briee Neyland, a undergraduate student from Riverside studying art education, is one of the students whose research is being highlighted. Neyland's research teaches problem-solving through art.

Neyland is designing a curriculum to teach problem-solving skills to students in post-secondary special education programs such as UI REACH by focusing on applying translatable skills in art class.

"Research has helped me see how all the parts of my scholarship fit together so that it can be easily adapted to suit the needs of different audiences," Neyland said.

"Every day, these students and scholars pursue research and creative activities that not only prepare them for their future careers but also aim to improve the future for all of us," said Marty Scholtz, vice president for research. "They have applied their knowledge and skills to achieve great things in the classroom and beyond."

The students and postdocs, who examine everything from altruism throughout a career to the role of zoos in American culture, were selected from more than 200 nominations made by faculty mentors and colleagues.

As in recent years, many students continue to conduct research related to COVID-19 and its ongoing impacts in every arena of life. Stephanie Evett, a master's student in the College of Public Health, tackles COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Iowa micropolitan communities as a research assistant in the Prevention Research Center for Rural Health. "It's critical that we understand why populations are not getting vaccinated so we can intervene to encourage vaccination among these populations," Evett said. "This in turn will promote COVID-19 vaccinations, inching us closer to achieving herd immunity."