Dr. Azeez Butali, Gilbert Lily endowed professor of oral pathology, radiology, and medicine, and professor at the Iowa Institute for Oral Health in the UI College of Dentistry, delivered a keynote address during the 2023 International Student Graduation Celebration.

As a new student on campus, are you feeling unsure or even intimidated about initiating contact with professors? We have collected tips from current professors and former students at Iowa, designed to help you navigate these types of situations.

Azeez Alade, a native of Nigeria, received a PhD in epidemiology from Iowa. He will soon start a clinical fellowship at the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.  

Bhavya Vats, a recent recipient of a BSE in biomedical engineering (BME) from the University of Iowa, was awarded an Academic & Scholarly Achievement Award at the 2023 International Student Graduation Celebration. Learn more about Vats through this Q&A piece.  

Jichen Zhang, from Weihai, China, earned a doctoral degree from the University of Iowa (UI) in 2023 and was named one of Slingshot's 2023 Artists to Watch by National Public Radio (NPR).  

Qianyi He, from Suzhou, China, recently received her BA in speech & hearing science and psychology from the University of Iowa (UI). She reflects on how the UI prepared her to pursue a clinical doctorate in audiology.

To celebrate the countless achievements of our international students and their accomplishments, the University of Iowa held the 2023 International Student Graduation Celebration on Thursday, May 11. 

“It was a very emotional moment for me because up until then I didn’t realize how much I actually missed hearing my name correctly. From that moment, I knew I should make an effort to introduce my identity and culture properly.”