Wendy Moorehead, senior director of strategic communications for Finance & Operations, has announced her plans to retire on June 1 after 32 years of service at the university. Throughout her career, Wendy has made significant contributions to the university, bridging communications and technology and sharing F&O and FM stories widely. Congratulations on your retirement, Wendy!

Over 500 students and staff at the University of Iowa and members in the Iowa City community came together to plant 2,000 seedlings for a Miyawaki Forest on April 24 and 25 in front of the UI College of Public Health building, after planting the state’s largest Miyawaki Forest in 2025.

Farrukh Bashir has been named associate vice president and director of University of Iowa Facilities Management. Bashir succeeds Lynne Finn, who will retire after a decade of service to the university. Bashir, assistant director of Facilities Management at the University of Minnesota, will begin on Feb. 2.

Brad Rohrer has been named the university’s next chief information officer and associate vice president. Rohrer succeeds Steve Fleagle, who will retire this spring after 40 years of service to UI. Rohrer, vice president for information technology at the University of Miami, will begin on Feb. 23.

The University of Iowa’s Cambus has been selected to receive $6,171,174 in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration’s Low and No Emissions Program. The funding will support the replacement of six buses that were purchased in 2008 and 2009, and were due for retirement by 2022, with new diesel-electric hybrid buses.

As 2025 comes to a close, one thing is clear: artificial intelligence continues to evolve at a pace that’s hard to keep up with. The landscape is complex, the tools are multiplying, and the questions are big. Our goal as the AI Support Team is to help the University of Iowa navigate this space with confidence. We’re here to provide guidance, training, and hands-on support so that AI adoption is thoughtful, practical, and aligned with campus needs.

Secure bicycle parking permits are now available for purchase at Hawkeye Parking Ramp. The enclosed bike parking at the ramp offers secure storage for up to 50 bicycles with access permissions provided by University of Iowa ID cards. This storage option provides more security and weather protection.

As AI tools show up in more conversations, so do rumors. Some are harmless, but others can keep people from using supported tools or following data rules. This myth-busting guide clears up some common misunderstandings about AI at Iowa.

University of Iowa faculty and staff now can purchase a license for ChatGPT Edu, a campus-supported version of ChatGPT designed for higher education environments. This release reflects ongoing efforts by ITS to provide secure, well-governed generative AI tools that support academic, research, and operational needs.

Patient parking ambassadors will start Dec. 8 at Parking Ramp 4 to continue improving parking for patients and their families on UI Health Care’s university campus. On weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., patient parking ambassadors monitor ramp use, direct vehicles to appropriate parking locations, assist with basic wayfinding questions, and help connect patients with other resources.