Three buildings on the Pentacrest will receive makeovers after the state Board of Regents voted in approval of the University of Iowa’s request to move forward with a project to modernize and restore the center of campus.

Iowa City residents and tree enthusiasts mourned the loss of a large European larch tree, located on the Pentacrest lawn, after wind from severe storms passed through the area late Monday night. Including the European larch, about three to five trees were lost in the storm and there were lots of trees that sustained limb loss overnight Monday.

A tree-specialist group at the University of Iowa has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA award winner in Iowa. It’s the 10th consecutive year the Landscape Services Tree Crew, part of UI’s Facilities Management, has been honored.

The University of Iowa announced it is exploring a potential public-private partnership (P3) with its utility system. The university joins a growing number of institutions across the country looking for new ways to bridge a meaningful gap in available resources. Under a P3, the UI will maintain ownership of its utility system while entering into a professional services agreement with a third party.

UI Facilities Management was recently selected for a 2018 APPA Effective and Innovative Practices Award for its Fault Detection and Diagnostics Program. The award was presented during the 2018 APPA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 3.

The Muscatine Journal explores the University of Iowa's investment in Miscanthus grass as an alternative fuel source in its power plant. One acre of Miscanthus grass can offset about four tons of coal in energy production. The use of Miscanthus grass is helping UI reduce its dependence on non-renewable energy sources like coal.

Just as education around the world continues to evolve and innovate, so do the campuses that house the brightest future artists, scholars, and financiers. The Visual Arts Building, on the University of Iowa campus contains multiple layers of light-filled floors and rooms where art students can collaborate.

Biomass Magazine featured the University of Iowa's Energy Control Center and co-fired power plant in the articles' exploration of cutting-edge condition monitoring technology that reduces equipment failure and maximizes productivity. The UI's condition monitoring technology tracks several KPIs associated with safety, maintenance costs, operational efficiencies, the percentage of renewable energy and more.

UI's Visual Arts Building was featured in a New York Times article that highlights excellence in building design that inspires innovative and creative thinking. The article praises the Visual Arts Building for creating an interdisciplinary space between arts and STEM "in hopes of facilitating the mixing of disciplines and modes of instruction."