From the Director
I’m especially impressed with the way our researchers have stepped up to conduct research relevant to the pandemic. This reflects IIHR’s time-honored tradition of adapting to meet society’s needs as events unfold. You can read about a few of these projects in the pages of this magazine. In May, the tragic death of George Floyd brought civil unrest nationwide, including here in Iowa City. These events refocused our attention on the essential issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We must continue working to build the society we want, where every person enjoys the same respect and opportunities. IIHR is always striving to be a place where everyone feels respected, valued, and heard. Our institutions, and each of us as individuals, must look deep within ourselves and make changes where necessary to our conduct and attitudes. Diversity, equity, and inclusion should be more than just a phrase — rather, it must be an integral part of the way we live. The year 2020 also brought new financial challenges for IIHR. In September, we learned of a significant change in the institute’s fiscal agreement with the university. For decades, the Facilities and Administration (F&A) portion of our grant funding came to IIHR in full. This helped to fuel our research programs and gave us a strong foundation for success. However, this year, the university and the College of Engineering will manage these F&A funds. The details of this transition are still being worked out. I remain optimistic for the future of IIHR because of the resilience, quality, and character of our people. We will share more details as they become available.
I am so proud of the way we have responded to the many challenges of 2020, and particularly to COVID-19. We have always been curious and especially attentive to what’s happening around us. The unfailing perseverance and hard work of our people, along with their consistent good cheer, buoys me up and helps me carry on. It speaks to their ingenuity and talent — when faced with adversity, they’re able to turn what is arguably a terrible situation into an opportunity to make society better. All of this leads me back to the quote from Winston Churchill — we will keep going. At IIHR, we’ve been successful, not because of luck, but because of the solid foundations on which IIHR was built. I give significant credit to the institute’s previous directors, who created an environment that fostered a shared sense of excellence and a deep feeling of belonging. I also credit the dedication of our current faculty and staff, many of whom have been with us for decades, and the support I get from the entire IIHR community, including our advisory board, alumni, students, and friends Best wishes,
Gabriele Villarini Director, IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering Robert and Virginia Wheeler Faculty Fellow in Engineering Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering 2020–21 • 1
