Thousands of miles from Iowa, an earthquake struck China last week, but some University of Iowa students still felt the impact. On April 20, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the center of Ya’an, located in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, killing more than 192 people and leaving more than 11,000 injured, according to the Associated Press. On Thursday night, approximately 100 students each held a white carnation as they encircled the candles that formed a heart shape in the middle of the Kautz Plaza. They then prayed for the victims at Ya’an.

The Chinese Association of Iowa recently selected Downing Thomas, dean of International Programs at the University of Iowa, as an honoree of the International Education Leadership Award. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have an exemplary record of publication, teaching, advising, advocacy, leadership, new program development, or general service to the field that has made and will make a lasting contribution to international education.

An increasing number of University of Iowa students are choosing to not only study abroad but also to work and volunteer overseas. The university is ranked 46th, among schools of its size, in the number of students graduating and joining the Peace Corps.

The UI recently increased its response to this demand by creating a position specifically geared toward students wanting to work, intern, or volunteer abroad. The position has been in place for 18 months, and officials have seen good results.

In recognition of his worldwide reputation as a respected teacher and scholar of international human rights, Burns Weston, founding director of the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights (UICHR), was recently awarded the Courage of Conviction award.

The Courage of Conviction award honors an individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the protection of human dignity and the advancement of human rights. This award recognizes the strength of character required of persons who advocate for the rights of individuals and for the common good in the face of opposition and often at significant personal cost.

UI alum Alexandria Sharp, who is currently serving in the Peace Corps, will be visiting the UI during a break from her volunteer term to talk about her life and experiences in Nicaragua. Her presentation will be held Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 2-3 p.m. in 1117 University Capitol Centre and the event is free and open to the public.

In Nicaragua, Sharp is serving as a health promoter focused on maternal and child health, hygiene, and nutrition. She is eager to share her pictures and answer questions about her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer.

A recent gift from Dean and Tammy Oskvig of Stilwell, Kan., to the University of Iowa Foundation will establish the Oskvig Global Engineering Scholarship within the UI College of Engineering.

The endowed gift will support one or more annual scholarships for engineering students interested in serving communities in developing countries through work in energy and/or water for a meaningful part of their professional career.

In her bicycle trek across Japan last month, Iowa City resident Michelle Gin met a number of hibakusha, the Japanese term for survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. in 1945.

One woman, a volunteer emergency aid worker, recounted to Gin her experience of rushing to the hospital just after the bomb dropped. The streets were filled with burned bodies and hands reached for her ankles for help as she walked by.