News

donated food and lecture

Small Bites, big impact: Religious Studies hosts an interactive pop-up food drive

Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Through a series of five-minute presentations on cultural foods and their meaning and use in different religions, students and faculty from the department broke bread to support the community.
Professor Jay Holstein poses in front of a bookshelf

A former student remembers Jay Holstein

Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Brandon Dean in front of a church

Religious Studies faculty member brings students and community together through public engagement work

Monday, October 20, 2025
Brandon Dean, assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Religious Studies, blends his interests of religion and popular culture into engaging public events. Dean is also the head of the Church Crawl, a lived learning experiment in which he invites his undergraduates to attend diverse religious services across Iowa City.
Dr. Brandon Dean

Professor Brandon Dean joins Center for Teaching's Scholarly Teaching Program

Wednesday, September 10, 2025
The Scholarly Teaching Program is a learning community designed to support teaching-focused faculty to attend a teaching conference. Participants will develop as scholarly teachers by engaging in peer discussion and exploring literature on evidence-based teaching practices within and beyond their disciplines.
carlos ruiz martinez

PhD Candidate Carlos Ruiz Martinez Publishes "Mass Deportation" Article

Thursday, August 28, 2025
"Trump's immigration policies are sending officers into sacred spaces and forcing people away from worship"
graduate awardees

Congratulations to our 2025 E.P. Adler Award Recipients

Thursday, May 15, 2025
This article recognizes our 2025 student award winners.
Kristy Nabhan-Warran

"A pope of the people": The first American pontiff is no Marxist, but friends say he's a reformer

Tuesday, May 13, 2025
UI religious studies professor Kristy Nabhan-Warran is interviewed about Pope Leo XIV.
photo of Carlos Ruiz Martinez

PhD Candidate Carlos Ruiz Martinez awarded Marcus Bach Fellowship

Wednesday, April 30, 2025
The Marcus Bach Fellowship is awarded to graduate students in the humanities to support the completion of an MFA project or doctoral dissertation. Martinez’s dissertation, “Creating Sanctuary: Religion and Immigration Control in the 21st Century,” traces the shift in relationship between federal immigration agencies and religious people and institutions.
Kefas with his award certificate

PhD Candidate Kefas Lamak awarded Cultural Research Award

Wednesday, April 30, 2025
African American Studies awards their Cultural Research Award to graduate students near completion of their dissertation for outstanding contributions, commitment and initiative related to research in African American culture.
picture of allison isidore

PhD candidate Allison Isidore named Outstanding Teaching Assistant

Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Allison Isidore was named among The University of Iowa Council on Teaching's 2025 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award recipients.