This talk will give an overview of three research initiatives that use VR technology. First, a series of studies that used large screen pedestrian and bicycling simulators to examine how two people coordinate their decisions and actions when crossing a stream of traffic. The studies reveal the powerful influence that others have on how we make consequential decisions in performing routine but potentially dangerous activities. Second, a series of studies looking at how mobile technology can help...

Post-event follow-up: Watch a video of the Oct 17 event. Sonatina Fernandes, senior UI HR specialist, Rebecca Olson, senior director of Benefits, and Anne Thurston, client consultant with Health Alliance Medical Plans, will present an overview of the 2024-25 UI health care enrollment options available to UI retirees.

Post-event follow-up: Watch a video of the Oct 8 event.   Slides from the event. Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselor Kevin Ward will clarify the distinction between traditional Medicare with Medigap and prescription drug supplements, in contrast to the all-inclusive Medicare Advantage plans. Kevin is beginning his third year as a SHIIP counselor. He is trained to clearly present enrollment guidelines, premium costs, and benefits for Medicare A, B, C, D, and...

Connect with fellow retirees old and new at our Welcome to Fall Barn Party. This fun, fall event will again be held in the 100-year-old barn at the home of Steve Scheckel & Pam Terrill (previously the O’Mara Homestead). The acreage is just two miles from downtown Iowa City. Food and beverages will be provided. Our special guest and speaker this year will be Ron Clark, who co-founded Riverside Theater four decades ago with his wife, Jody Hovland and Professor Bruce Wheaton. In his role as...

This lecture will detail our 38-year journey toward the restoration of vision for people blinded by inherited retinal disease. Edwin M. Stone, MD, PhD, is Professor of Ophthalmology. Director of the Iowa Institute for Vision Research, and the Seamans-Hauser Chair of Molecular Ophthalmology. ~ Sponsored by the Emeritus Faculty Council and the Office of the Provost ~

Come celebrate all that UIRA has accomplished! The annual meeting will be Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 2–4 p.m. in 2520-D University Capitol Center (second floor of UCC). The event will also be available via Zoom. We’ll begin with refreshments and social time, followed by the annual business meeting. Look for an email coming soon with information about registering for the event.

Post-event follow-up: Watch a video of the May 16 event.  The AARP Fraud Watch Network has been established to arm Americans with tools to spot and avoid fraud and scams. The network educates, serves as a resource, and acts as watchdog in order to help individuals recognize and avoid fraud. Dr. Sally Leme, Ph.D., is a trained AARP Fraud Watch volunteer speaker, former UI assistant professor, and a retired special education consultant from Grant Wood AEA. 2520-D University Capitol Center (UCC)...

Post-event follow-up: Watch a video of the April 24th event Ballooning state and federal incarceration is problematic and costly for many reasons, but one ever-increasing complication is the fact that our prison population is aging. According to the Census Bureau, from 1991 to 2021, the percentage of people 55 years or older in our nation’s prisons swelled from 3% to 15%. And more than 30% of people serving life sentences are at least 55 years old. Aging in prison can be dangerous. It is...

The Driving Safety Research Institute (DSRI) aims to make roads safer by researching the connection and interaction between humans and vehicles. They are home to the National Advanced Driving Simulator, a suite of world-class driving simulators, and a fleet of five instrumented on-road research vehicles. This interdisciplinary transportation safety research institute in the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering is funded by government and industry contracts. Their research expertise...

Post-event follow-up: Watch a avideo of the April 9 event The State of Iowa recently completed a project entitled the Iowa Watershed Approach focused on improving community resilience to floods, droughts, and declining water quality. This science-based project followed a systematic process of hydrologic assessment, goal setting, development of watershed plans, installation of monitoring systems, project construction, community engagement, identification of vulnerable populations, and details...