Syllabus updated requirements 

Spring 2026 syllabus reminders are due January 9.

1. Reiterated the importance of clear policies and up-to-date information. This speeds up the review process and can aid in supporting faculty decisions if student issues arise
2. Fall 2026 new template: can begin using in Spring 2026 if preferred (required components are changing): https://resource.clas.uiowa.edu/syllabus-requirements-and-template.
3. You may begin using this new template in Spring 2026 if you’d like to get an early start on the changes. The attached document provides detailed information. There are 2 new sections: Outline of Course Topics andTypes of Assessments. The other changes relate more to specific language and the organization of information. 

HSHP Communications Request Form

The CLAS Marketing and Communications team, with support from our communications student, is now managing the department's Communications Request Form. 

Please bookmark the form for convenient access and use it for all requests. Note that email submissions will be redirected to the form. You can also find the form labeled “Marcom Request” at the very bottom of the HSHP website.

HSAB updates

Only 20 short weeks stand between us and the most significant move in our department’s history. A new era of innovation and excellence is about to begin!

This is not just another building; it is the largest and fastest-delivered academic project in University of Iowa history, and it stands as a testament to the extraordinary planning, precision, and professionalism that have defined every step since our first meetings in late 2022. From June of 2023 when South Quad was razed to today, the pace has been relentless and the results, remarkable. Now, as we enter the final stretch, your engagement matters more than ever. Every detail counts, each decision shapes the future. This is our last winter in the Field House and IBIF so keep those windows closed! Together, we are creating a facility worthy of the talent, innovation, and dedication of our faculty and staff. Let’s finish strong and make history.

Operational & planning updates

• Phase 2 North Tower on schedule for early March substantial completion.
• HSHP has been advised that no further change requests will be accepted.
• 5th and 6th flooring installations nearing completion.
• UI and CCOM audio/visual work in progress.
• Favorable weather in the coming weeks will allow completion of the wooden bridge and installation of bike racks and lockers.
• Work over finals week and Christmas break for south building consisting of touch up paint, added door hardware additions, acoustic wall panel install in a few rooms.
• Furniture installation schedule for phase 2 will be ready for install late January.

Upcoming milestones

• STF proposals due February.
• Governance, certifications, procedures, and manuals final phases of development. (Research, Instruction, Administration, Student Support)
• Finalize policies and procedures for highly governed spaces, including the Food & Nutrition Science Laboratory, Anatomy facilities, and DEXA testing areas, in strict alignment with national standards and University of Iowa Risk Management requirements.
• Access, security and scheduling final phases of development.
• Inventory and procurement final phases of approval.
• Deploy office assignment policies to program directors (Jan 9–15).

HSAB open work sessions

Join us for informal, drop-in work sessions to discuss HSAB updates, review plans, and ask questions:

• Tuesdays – In-person: E101A FH & Live Zoom
• Thursdays – Live Zoom only

For more information, real-time updates and photos visit the HSAB HHP Project HQ Teams site. You can also check out the full photo gallery from 12/11!

The department is conducting several faculty searches. An update on the searches is below:

• Visiting Assistant Professor in Nutrition & Health: Brianna Montross has accepted our offer and will be joining us this Spring as 0.50 FTE.
• Open-Rank Instructional Track faculty search in Sport & Recreation Management: The search committee, Alex Voss (co-chair) Packy Moran (co-chair), Dan Matheson, Jeremy Mims, & Kate Wakenight, have completed on-campus interviews and will be choosing their top candidate soon.
• Tenure Track faculty search in HSHP: On-campus interviews wrapped up on December 16. The search committee, Anna Stanhewicz (chair), Nate Jenkins, Kara Whitaker, Lucas Carr & Vitor Lira, have chosen their top candidate; negotiations are currently underway.

Thursday, January 15, 2026, 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM, Big Grove Brewery, Iowa City
HSHP Return to Campus Spring 2026
Let’s Kick Off Spring Together – Big Grove Celebration!
We’re planning a special Spring 2026 celebration for all faculty, staff, research associates, and their significant others and families. Watch for your official invitation soon and be sure to RSVP! Your participation will make this milestone event unforgettable! Expect a family-friendly atmosphere with opportunities to reconnect, enjoy refreshments, and celebrate together.

Thursday, January 22, 2026, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Online
Cancer Survivorship in Iowa: A Collaborative Learning Series - join Dr. Jess Gorzelitz as she presents on Physical Activity & Exercise for Cancer Survivors. Join this webinar via Zoom, using the meeting ID: 948 4994 8179 and the passcode: 576021

Saturday, April 18, 2026
Save the date!
Plans are underway for alumni day activities for HSHP alumni in HSAB as well as campus-wide. Stay tuned for more information! See campus updates here: UI Alumni Day

Spring 2026 Faculty Peer Mentoring Communities – Now Open for Registration

Shawn Flanagan & Amy Fletcher will be leading an Instructional-Track Faculty Peer Mentoring Community focusing on large lecture-based instruction in the Spring of 2026. The group will focus on practical, evidence-based strategies for promoting active learning, student engagement, and effective course design in lecture-based environments. 

HSHP Faculty Member Presents at the Society for Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders Conference

Dr. Erin Talbert presented at the conference in Rome, Italy, discussing how clinical insights are advancing the understanding of cancer cachexia.

Stanhewicz Lab Students Recognized

Three students from Anna Stanhewicz' s lab have received the following recognition:

• Kelsey Schwartz, PhD Fellow received an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship which begins January 1.
• Adam Corkery, PhD received an American Diabetes Association Postdoctoral Fellowship which begins January 1.
• Ruda Lee, MS received the Ballard & Seashore Fellowship for Spring 2026.

HSHP Faculty Member Appointed to the Women in Physiology Committee (WIPC)

Dr. Kanokwan (Mandy) Bunsawat was  approved by The Board of Directors of the American Physiological Society, based on the recommendation of the Committee on Committees, to serve on the Women in Physiology Committee (WIPC). The appointment term will start on May 1, 2026 and will end on April 30, 2029.

Additional achievements

• Dr. Kara Whitaker was awarded the Trudy Bush Fellowship for Cardiovascular Disease Research in Women’s Health from the American Heart Association.
• Josh Lens served as a panelist on a Law and Sports panel session at The Association of American Law School's annual meeting on January 7th in New Orleans, LA. Sponsored by the Law, Medicine and Health Care section of AALS, the panel was titled "Medical and Mental Health Duties of Care - Inside and Outside Providers."
• Dan Matheson has been named a co-chair of the Sports Lawyers Association 2026 Symposium planning committee. The symposium title is: "The Sports Law Frontier: Navigating Business, Technology and Globalization in an Era of Rapid Change." The symposium will be held in Boston in November 2026.
• Josh Lens provided continuing legal education to attorneys who belong to a section of the Texas bar. The session was titled "Name, Image, & Likeness 101.", took place on January 7th via Zoom.
• Kara Kehe was selected for the Spring 2026 cohort for the Scholarly Teaching Program. She will be traveling to Arizona for the AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success (CLASS) in mid-April.
• Dr. Jess Gorzelitz presented a Cancer Survivorship Webinar on January 6th - Implementing Scalable Exercise Interventions to Address Supportive Care Disparities in Rural Cancer Survivors on the National Library of Medicine website for an online course.

Recent peer-reviewed research publications by HSHP faculty members (in bold) and students/postdocs (in italics) are listed below:

• Barone Gibbs B, Modlin S, Perera S, Thrower AN, Huber KA, Kozai AC, Chiu J, Haas DM, Greenland P, Brobman WA, Theilan L, Cameron NA, Bairey Merz CN, Whitaker KM. Factors Associated with Leisure Time Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Young Women 2-7 Years after Delivery of a First Pregnancy in the nuMoM2b Heart Health Study. American Journal of Health Promotion. Accepted for publication December 15, 2025.
• Claiborne A, De Roia G, Whitaker KM, Suminski RR, Patterson F, Wisseman B, Kern K, Steen D, McDonald SM, Strom C, Newton E, Devente J, Mouro S, Collier D, Duehn D, Kelley G, Rossa L, Ollman C, Davis E, May LE. Exercise during pregnancy and maternal sleep quantity and quality. Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology. Accepted for publication December 14, 2025.
• Gimblet CJ, Pierce GL. The endothelial glycocalyx response to Western diet: when structure improves but function falters. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2026 Jan 1;330(1):H73-H74.
• Chappell H, Gilliam Z, Madero B, Springer J, Pipoly M, Baller KL, Oehler C, Long JD, Pierce GL, Voss MW. Nonexercise Equations for Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Older Adults using Body Roundness Index and Waist Circumference. Exerc Sport Mov. 2025 Dec 22;4(1):e00060.