During the fall semester, the MPA capstone team will conduct research (e.g. literature review, case studies) to better understand the service needs of West Burlington and Burlington, as well as locating effective approaches undertaken by other communities. During Spring semester, the team will focus on engaging stakeholders, analyzing existing local conditions, cost/benefit analyses, and developing recommendations.  

For their MPA capstone project, a group of students will conduct research (e.g. literature review, case studies) to better understand the burden to families and individuals that need to access multiple service providers. They will locate approaches that other communities have developed to make connecting with services more streamlined by offering a single point of contact. During the Spring semester, the group will focus on engaging stakeholders, analyzing existing local conditions, and tailoring recommendations to the region. 

A team of graduate students in Urban and Regional Planning will develop a comprehensive document to guide the future of downtown Oskaloosa. The Oskaloosa Downtown Master Plan will focus particularly on how use of public spaces (e.g. transportation infrastructure, public property) as well as other public support mechanisms (e.g. policies and programming) can enhance and strengthen the downtown district as the heart of the community. 

This project will help identify strategies to enhance and grow markets for producers and will focus particularly on the development of a pilot project to make CSA subscriptions an employee wellness benefit by large employers. For their capstone project, a team of MPA (Master of Public Affairs) students will work with Iowa Valley RC&D staff to determine the full scope of work for the project.  

Graduate students in the College of Nursing will partner with South Central Iowa (SCI) communities to develop and present a plan focused on enhancing high school students' access to healthcare career pathways. This project will involve:

University of Iowa-based artist Emily Edwards will paint a mural at the Mutchler Community Center in Bloomfield, IA. With input from the staff and community, the artist will create a design that brings a sense of energy and excitement to the space and serves as a memorable community touchpoint.

As part of their capstone project, students seeking the Transportation Certificate in the School of Planning & Public Affairs created a comprehensive resource for communities to work toward "complete neighborhoods" that provide close access to basic needs. They also applied the Complete Neighborhoods concepts in a collaboration with officials from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

As part of the ICIGO student organization within the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, students created a StoryMap that highlights green infrastructure projects in Dubuque. 

The city of Dubuque has been widely recognized for prioritizing sustainability in community and economic development. ICIGO students created a StoryMap highlights many of the current and past initiatives that help make Dubuque a more sustainable and resilient community. 

As part of the ICIGO student organization within the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, Environmental Science major Luke Caron digitized "road verges" - strips of groundcover located between a roadway and a sidewalk - to help the City of Dubuque identify the best opportunities to enhance the city's tree canopy. 

Students in the course Policy and Persuasion worked with City of Bondurant representatives to develop policy directions for issues related to the city's rapid growth and their desire to preserve the community's core "hometown" identity.    

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created site plans and designs for a small sustainability-focused "EcoVillage" in the unincorporated community of Scotch Grove, located in Jones County. 

Students in a Senior Capstone course in Civil and Environmental Engineering provided evaluation and design for a regional trail and trailhead connecting Scotch Grove with surrounding points of interest, such as Camp Courageous, Picture Rock Park, and the Cities of Anamosa and Monticello. 

As part of their Senior Capstone in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a team of students worked with Mahaska County Conservation staff on a project to enhance the county's water trails system, focusing on improvements to increase accessibility, use, and safety. 

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering collaborated with Mahaska County Conservation to conduct a site assessment and design improvements for the White Oaks Nature Conservation Area. 

As part of their Senior Design Capstone Course, a team of students in Civil and Environmental Engineering designed a Public Works Facility for Bondurant's new Civic Campus. They devised three alternatives and created final designs with the client's input.

Students in a capstone photojournalism course in Journalism & Mass Communication spent three days in Dubuque capturing businesses, homes, and activities related to sustainability and everyday people's efforts to reduce emissions. Their photographs are essential components to the Strategics Communications social media assets, and the Telegraph Herald newspaper insert.  

Please note that photos on this project page are compressed for easier viewing. 

Students in a class in Journalism and Mass Communications develop a Telegraph Newspaper insert that serves as a guide for Dubuque citizens to better understand their city's services and opportunities related to sustainability. 

Students in a strategic communications capstone class in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication created plans to help Dubuque meet its "50% by 2030" carbon footprint goal. To accomplish this, Sustainable Dubuque needs to expand public knowledge of the plan, increase awareness of tools and methods for lowering carbon use, and boost participation by various community sectors.

College of Law students who are part of the Community Empowerment Law Project worked with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque to better understand the issue of chronic absenteeism among Marshallese students. In addition to synthesizing reasons for the problem, they also identified solutions.