Numerous news sources, The Daily Iowan included, reported on the newest edition of this publication, which bases the rankings on student surveys and responses. I am certainly bothered by Iowa’s...

As the time for final exams and final grades approaches, students’ anxiety about GPAs and jobs starts to ratchet up. Surprisingly, instructors can also become anxious about final grades at semester’s...

Private support has made my experience at the University of Iowa possible, in ways too numerable to mention. Philanthropy has touched nearly every significant moment in my time at Iowa — but I will limit...

I remember seeing the black-and-gold “PHIL WAS HERE” signs for the first time when I was a freshman, walking across the Pentacrest. Back then, I did not know it was Phil’s Day, who Phil...

Celebrate Phil We’re hearing more and more about the “sharing economy” these days. It’s great to see so many innovations based on cooperation, peer-to-peer exchanges, and the potential...

My parents met at the University of Iowa, just as my wife, Nancy, and I did — and they were the first people who taught me about the value of private philanthropy to the university.  When they reached...

Giving is a surprisingly complex notion. Why we give is the subject of numerous Ph.D. dissertations in psychology and the social sciences. Certainly one reason we give is because it feels good. It is also...

Each year, thousands of University of Iowa alumni and friends give back to Iowa, and their donations help make our university great. As president and CEO of the UI Foundation, I have the privilege of...

As little girls, my sister and I donated our earnings from our lemonade stands to causes we were passionate about. From a very young age, my family instilled in me the importance of giving back, helping...

In one of my favorite episodes of “The West Wing,” Sam Seaborn argues, “Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything.” In my college experience, I have found that statement...

I came across the iconic phrase “It is better to give than to receive” sometime prior to my teen years. It was a catchy phrase so it stayed with me — though I did not fully understand or...

My connection to the University of Iowa began when I was 8 years old.  I grew up in Iowa City, attending elementary school across the street from what is now the UI Tippie College of Business, where I...