The internet mews, barks, growls, and hisses with alleged evidence of cross-species attachment. These stories — from Genesis to Victorian animal painter Edwin Landseer’s narrative paintings to the latest videos and memes — entice audiences with the promise that we can bridge and bond across species difference. But they also document what it costs animals for humans to be near them. 

~ Sponsored by the Emeritus Faculty Council and the Office of the Provost ~

The holidays are approaching quickly! UIRA members with children on their gift lists may be wondering what books those children might enjoy. Angela Pilkington of the Iowa City Public Library and Molly Roberts of Prairie Lights Books will discuss what’s new, what’s popular, and what’s exciting now in children’s literature.

Angela Pilkington has served as the Children’s Services coordinator at the Iowa City Public Library since June 2015 and is responsible for the Children’s Room, including...

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...