University of Iowa
IN-24: Innovation A

The University of Iowa’s Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Partnership is a community engagement initiative that partners the University of Iowa with Iowa’s nine Resource Conservation & Development non-profit organizations to help build strong, sustainable communities and improve the quality of life in Iowa. The University of Iowa works with the nine RC&Ds through a variety of projects, workshops, and grant collaborations that cover topics including environmental conservation, sustainable development, arts and culture, economic development, community health and wellness, and non-profit development. The Office of Outreach & Engagement also works closely with the Iowa League of Resource Conservation & Development which provides leadership, services, and a unified voice to its member RC&D organizations.

The partnership could theoretically pair with almost all sustainability impact areas. A sample of past projects are included below: 1) Water: Turkey River Watershed Economic Impact Analysis Project With the guidance of Professor Haifeng Qian, Urban and Regional Planning student Juliana Lucchesi evaluated the economic impacts of a new policy for the Turkey River Watershed in partnership with Northeast Iowa RC&D. Juliana delivered a final report including framework for a cost-benefit analysis and an economic analysis of the new policy. Due to the timeline for data collection, this project developed into an ongoing partnership between Northeast Iowa RC&D and the School of Urban & Regional Planning. 2) Buildings: Macedonia Folk Art Center Design Project Golden Hills will be working with a Design & Management Civil Engineering course taught by Professor Paul Hanley to partner on a design project for the proposed Macedonia Folk Art Center in Macedonia, Iowa. Students will design and address engineering solutions related to the building site. Recommendations for site development, facility design and sustainable building practices will be part of the project. Once complete, the student-led project will be used to support a capital campaign to raise funds for the Folk Art Center’s construction and development as well as inform the final architectural and construction documents. 3) Other (Arts & Culture, Food& Dining): Farmers' Markets Bring Us Together Project Anna Swanson, MFA candidate in Film/Video Production in the Cinematic Arts Department, partnered with Southern Iowa RC&D to complete a local foods video project. The video aims to promote farmers’ markets in Southern Iowa by showing consumers and farmers in Southern Iowa RC&D’s seven-county region the vibrancy of local agriculture. The video frames local foods as sustainable, healthy, cost-effective, and community-oriented choices.