The first University of Iowa Statewide Veterans Conference will begin at 9 a.m. today on the fourth floor of the Levitt Center.

Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, will give the keynote address, UI dignitaries will make opening remarks, and a panel of veterans and specialists will discuss the concerns and challenges veterans face. An estimated 385 UI students are veterans, according to a press release.

Approximately 80 veteran service providers in Iowa, including UI faculty, staff and students, plan to participate in the event.

It is sponsored by the UI Office of the Provost, UI Office of the Registrar, UI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, and the UI Student Veterans Association.

— by Hayley Bruce