On November 10, 2015, Joan Kjaer and a panel of guests discussed ”communicating for social and behavioral change" as part of a special edition of WorldCanvass. The program included the presentation of the 2015 International Impact Award. This is a ReCap of the event with access to see and hear the full program.

Darren Grafius graduated from the University of Iowa in 2011 with a PhD in geography. Since graduating, he has moved to the United Kingdom, where he is proud to have gotten married and bought a house with his husband. Darren is currently employed as a post-doctoral research fellow at Cranfield University, where he works on a government-funded consortium project studying ecosystem services and biodiversity in urban environments.

Zubaidah Dahlui hails from Bangi, Malaysia, which is a small town approximately twenty-five miles south of Kuala Lumpur. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 1987 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics.

Three students from the UI around Paris are reported safe. The UI is not going to tell students they need to return home, but students can choose to do so should they feel unsafe.

John Mark Velasco, from Manila, Philippines, earned his Bachelor of Science in biology, Masters of Public Health, and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of the Philippines, and completed a certificate in emerging infectious disease epidemiology from the University Of Iowa College Of Public Health in 2010. He went on to earn his post-graduate diploma and Masters of Science in clinical trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

Students on campus have a new way to speak their minds in a safe space. The University of Iowa Center for Diversity and Enrichment office is hosting a three-day listening session that started Monday and will continue through Wednesday.The sessions were a direct response to the incidents that happened at the University of Missouri last week, said Diversity Center Director Nadine Petty.

Mingqian Liu, originally from Beijing, China, graduated from the University of Iowa in 2011 with a degree in international studies and art history. Mingqian went on to earn a PhD in history from Texas A&M University with a concentration in historic preservation and museum studies before returning to Beijing. She now works at Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University as a public education fellow, developing art education programs for people of all ages.

Zi Wang, originally from Chengdu, China, graduated from the University of Iowa in 2013 with a degree in leisure studies. After graduation, she returned to Chengdu, where she founded Cher Maternal Care, an agency that provides in-home nanny service to families.

Immediately following the tragic events in Paris on November 13, the University of Iowa contacted the four UI students who are currently studying in France to ascertain their safety and provide necessary support. All were accounted for on Friday and none were in Paris during the attacks. Our private international security partner is providing regular updates and recommendations for our student travelers in France. We continue to monitor the situation and work with our program partners throughout Europe to provide support to our students abroad in the region. We also liaise with the U.S. Department of State for updates and analysis of events worldwide.

Xiangyu Wang came to the University of Iowa from Bengbu, China, and graduated in 2014 with a degree in mathematics. She currently works as an actuarial research analyst for Country Financial in Bloomington, Illinois, building home and auto pricing models.