116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Vanessa Miller
I’ve covered lots of beats over my decades as a reporter, and one reason I really enjoy higher education is because it touches on them all. One day I’m writing about science and interviewing University of Iowa NASA researchers, the next I’m writing about health care, or agriculture, or a new Iowa State-supported business, or athletic budgets, or criminal justice, or the Legislature and potential bills affecting Iowa’s university and college campuses. I also love that I get to investigate and dig deep on some stories, report hard news, and then also share incredible and sometimes harrowing tales of survival or discovery. When I’m not working, I’m playing with my kids or following them around to wrestling tournaments. Get the news delivered right to your inbox.
Latest Articles by Vanessa Miller
Health Care and Medicine Oct. 9, 2025 1:39 pm65d ago
While maintaining its top ranking as Iowa’s best children’s hospital, according to U.S. News & World Report, the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital lost ground in new 2025-26 national rankings released Tuesday.
Higher Ed Oct. 7, 2025 4:16 pm67d ago
The state has agreed to pay a Le Claire mother $50,000 to settle her 2022 lawsuit accusing University of Iowa Health Care providers of perforating her bowel and charring her rectum during a 2020 cervical cancer surgery — leaving her permanently impaired and limiting her ability to parent her two sons.
Crime & Courts Oct. 7, 2025 4:08 pm67d ago
Despite a lawsuit fighting the State Historical Society of Iowa's unexpected and "haphazard" closure of its Iowa City research facility and archives — and a court hearing scheduled in the dispute next week — the state on Monday began moving some of the historical documents with help from prison inmates.
Higher Ed Oct. 7, 2025 1:44 pm67d ago
The search committee tasked with identifying finalists to lead Iowa State University as its next president met in closed session Monday and after several hours of discussion narrowed down a pool of 78 applicants to eight semi-finalists.
Higher Ed Oct. 6, 2025 7:23 am69d ago
“That would be a really cool discovery by itself,” University of Iowa planetary geologist Valerie Payre said. “That would mean we might not be alone in the solar system or even the universe.”
Higher Ed Oct. 6, 2025 8:08 am69d ago
The state of Iowa has both a need and an opportunity to start offering four-year bachelor’s degrees across its 15 community colleges — like those offered on its public and private college and university campuses, according to a final investigative report that lawmakers commissioned over the summer.
Health Care and Medicine Oct. 1, 2025 4:30 pm73d ago
In less than two weeks after University of Iowa Health Care on Aug. 29 notified 211,000-some people that their personal information might have been compromised in a data-breach incident, at least eight of those affected filed separate class-action lawsuits seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.
Crime & Courts Oct. 2, 2025 9:13 am73d ago
Seventeen historians, archivists, professors, authors, and donors with decades of public service are suing the State Historical Society of Iowa for haphazardly and without public input closing its Iowa City research facility and archives.
Higher Ed Sep. 29, 2025 4:18 pm75d ago
Days before Iowa’s Board of Regents met in closed session to discuss comments some university employees made on social media about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death, Gov. Kim Reynolds wrote a letter urging the regents to terminate “public employees who make public comments condoning the murder of a person expressing political views.”
Higher Ed Sep. 29, 2025 3:49 pm75d ago
A 12-member search committee charged with identifying Iowa State University’s next president is scheduled to meet next week to discuss in closed session the 78 prospects who applied.
Crime & Courts Sep. 26, 2025 5:46 pm78d ago
With bankrupt Mercy Iowa City and its former managing affiliate MercyOne snared in a growing web of legal disputes, the Des Moines-based affiliate is accusing Mercy Iowa City of being too verbose in its arguments, demanding case dismissal.
Higher Ed Sep. 25, 2025 7:24 am80d ago
A week after the Board of Regents met for three and a half hours in closed session to discuss university employees who made inflammatory social media posts about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, at least one ISU employee no longer is employed with the institution.
Higher Ed Sep. 24, 2025 5:30 am81d ago
Eight weeks after the University of Iowa placed on paid administrative leave two employees seen in undercover videos discussing the campus’ compliance with state DEI laws — including one who said the university was “finding ways to operate around it” — the investigation continues.
Higher Ed Sep. 23, 2025 11:43 am81d ago
The University of Iowa, for the first time since being included in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual best college rankings in 2004, has fallen out of the top 100 universities nationally, dropping four spots from No. 98 last year to No. 102.
Health Care and Medicine Sep. 22, 2025 7:44 am83d ago
The University of Iowa Health Care surgeon spelled out two paths for Dubuque Wahlert’s Eve Skrocki. Wait and see whether it heels on its own in six to eight weeks – delaying surgery if it doesn’t. Or jump straight to surgery now and accept a six- to nine-month recovery.

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