Journalism & Mass Communication students developed a strategic communications campaign for Main Street Mason City, a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization with a mission to “enhance, promote and preserve downtown Mason City as a diverse business, cultural and residential destination, for the benefit of the entire community.”

Environmental Engineering students evaluated decentralized wastewater treatment alternatives for three sites in Lake Delhi, a popular recreational area in Eastern Iowa, demonstrating various designs and solutions that could be considered throughout the Lake Delhi community. 

Through a graduate assistantship from the Tippie College of Business, an MBA student worked alongside IISC staff to develop recommendations for retail inventory management policies and procedures for the DeWitt Referral Center, a non-profit organization that serves a resource for local families experiencing hardship or crisis. 

MFA student Ali Hval designed and painted a mural in downtown Clinton, Iowa, assisted by fellow MFA student Marina Ross.

Artist Ali Hval was selected by the Office of Outreach & Engagement to design and install a mural for an exterior wall located in downtown Clinton.  She recruited fellow artist and MFA student Marina Ross to provide assistance. The project was made possible by a collaboration between two university outreach and engagement programs, Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) and Arts Share. 

Students from a variety of disciplines taking Community Development in the Upper Midwest produced videos that tell stories from the Grant Wood Loop, located in eastern Iowa, through their own experiences in the region and interviews with local residents. 

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning developed strategies and recommendations to position and market Jackson County as a top choice in the region for young families making residential location decisions. 

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning created an economic development plan for the City of Clinton and surrounding micropolitan area.

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban & Regional Planning created a Vision Plan to support Cedar County's efforts to earn Great Places designation through the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

Concurrent with the development of the Cedar County Comprehensive Plan, students developed a Cedar County visioning document to support an application for Iowa Great Places designation, a competitive program administered by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. 

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban & Regional Planning created a Comprehensive Plan for Cedar County.

Juniors in the Tippie College of Business Marketing Institute developed brand alternatives for Mason City’s North End Commercial District, with a goal of uniting the area’s current and future small business owners under a common effort to attract customers and revitalize the neighborhood. 

Graduate students in the College of Public Health developed campaigns for the Mason City community that address issues related to the increasing proportion of older residents in the community.   The public health campaigns were tailored to help Mason City residents better "age in place", which can mean helping individuals stay in their own homes longer, as well as helping the community adapt and develop resources that make Mason City functional and attractive for older residents.

Graduate students in the School of Library & Information Science built a framework and online platform for archiving data related to Mason City architecture.

MFA student Ali Hval designed murals with "prairie style" themes for two downtown Mason City locations as part of the community's "Building Our Brand" campaign.   Ali also painted the mural designed for the Brick Furniture building.

Graduate students in the College of Public Health developed a public health campaign for the Mason City's North End neighborhood to combat negative perceptions in order to improve residents' health and well-being.    

This campaign seeks to improve perceptions of Mason City's North End neighborhood.  Negative stigmas attached to the neighborhood, often considered run-down or dangerous, can have an adverse effect on health and wellness.  Data suggests that perceptions don't necessarily match reality. 

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban & Regional Planning developed a plan for Mason City's North End Neighborhood.

In a report to the the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA), a student in the Geographical & Sustainability Studies: Senior Project Seminar class completed an independent project that evaluated spatial relationships between Brownfields sites and public school buildings, using free and reduced lunch rates as an indicator of vulnerability.  

In a report to the City of Mason City and North Iowa Farmers’ Market Board of Directors, a student in the Geographical & Sustainability Studies: Senior Project Seminar class completed an independent project that evaluated two Mason City farmers market site locations based on mobility and accessibility indicators. 

Students in the Civil & Environmental Engineering program conducted a project that provided water utility improvements, future sanitary sewer projects, stormwater management, water quality, and flood protection in the Southbridge Industrial Park in Sioux City, IA to support its growth and the attraction of new industries to the area.

Widening, straightening, embankment work, conduit reconstruction, levees, drainage structures, public and private utilities relocation, bridges, street construction, and appurtenant flood control measures to protect persons and property in the Perry Creek Valley. The project started at the Missouri River and continued north upstream to the city limits. Phases 1 through 4 are complete. The Phase 4 Levee raise was completed to 23rd Street in 2012.

Students from the School of Journalism & Mass Communication created a strategic marketing plan to attract artists and art enthusiasts to the Maquoketa Art Experience, a non-profit organization with a physical community space in downtown Maquoketa.