Check out more about Phil here: www.uifoundation.org/facultystaff

The University of Iowa is a beacon of progress and discovery, a world-class institution benefiting Iowans and pursuing discoveries that have no boundaries. Here are summaries of only a few initiatives that make the UI great:

The Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities is an organization that matches community needs across the state with the expertise and resources of UI faculty and students. Students gain real-world experience while working with communities to improve quality of life — a win-win. 

Growing access and opportunity for all Iowa citizens, the Iowa First Nations Summer Program provides Native American students with the opportunity to live on campus, explore majors, and experience a variety of opportunities at Iowa.

Did you know that the UI has a team of faculty and students on the brink of discovering a method to regrow knee cartilage? Their work shows great promise and could make the current reality of arthritis and knee replacement far less common.

It’s a world of discovery and opportunity at the UI, and I want to share its stories and see it succeed. I’m a UI alumnus whose life was transformed by excellent instruction in the Geography Department of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and I found a community and opportunities that helped me grow in my leadership abilities with the UI Environmental Coalition, a student organization. Now I have the privilege to serve as the UI’s sustainability coordinator. 

I feel that I have received a lot from the UI, and my life is better for being a part of the UI — so I give a little back every year to support things on campus that I find important, amazing, or inspiring. That’s what the We Are Phil initiative is all about, and this week is when faculty and staff on campus are asked to make their annual contribution.

If the UI means something special to you, or if it’s providing opportunities or discoveries that benefit someone you know, consider supporting it with a small financial gift. As public funding continues to become increasingly competitive and unstable, any amount you can afford goes a long way toward keeping the UI and its thousands of stories great.

Eric Holthaus

(2009 B.A.)

University of Iowa Sustainability Coordinator