Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most original, impactful, and complex figures of the 20th century. WorldCanvass panelists reflected on Gandhi at 150.

Physicians, researchers, and advocates for Iowa’s most vulnerable populations addressed public health and the pandemic, the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations, and the challenge of vaccine hesitancy.

Renowned author Yaa Gyasi was our guest for “The Ghanaian-American Experience in Literature and Art” on the first WorldCanvass of 2021. Joining her in this special writer-to-writer discussion was fellow author and graduate of the UI Writers’ Workshop D.K. Nnuro.

Joan Kjaer and guest panelists discussed the impact of COVID-19 and whether teaching and learning has been forever changed on this December 8 WorldCanvass.

On Thursday, March 1, the internationally acclaimed Elias String Quartet took WorldCanvass inside the process of music-making.  In a performance-filled program called Translating Music, members of the quartet and Elizabeth Oakes, director of the University of Iowa String Quartet Residency Program in the School of Music, discussed what it takes to bring a piece to life by focusing on two themes—nationality in music and storytelling through music. This program was part of a week-long residency at the UI, which included a number of classroom and public engagements as well as a concert at Hancher Auditorium.