Over the course of 150 years, the University of Northern Iowa has known many names – the Iowa State Normal School, The Iowa State Teachers College, the State College of Iowa and now, the University of Northern Iowa.
As UNI prepares for the 2025-2026 academic year, departments across campus also prepare to celebrate UNI’s sesquicentennial anniversary, or a 150 years of UNI. Over the course of 150 years as an academic institution in Iowa, UNI has taken on different names and ideas, but its purpose has remained the same: to serve and prepare students to become members of society who excel in their career field. The steering committee has helped to prepare festivities and activities for students on campus and alumni across the nation to celebrate this historic milestone for the university.
Adam Amdor, University Relations’ Assistant Communications Director, peeled back the curtain on the different ways the university is planning on celebrating the anniversary. “It’s not just for faculty and staff. It’s not just for students. This is for everyone that has a connection to UNI, not even within the state of Iowa, but then outside and all the states that our alumni and families live in around the world,” said Amdor. “So when we’re approaching this milestone celebration, a lot of the things our steering committee is talking about is how to do this celebration in a way we can involve everyone.”
TEDx UNI, UNI Day of Service, and a celebration for the 150th class that UNI plans to welcome in the fall are all in the works. Amdor said specifically that the UNI Day of Service will be in April of 2026 in an effort to celebrate what Panthers do best: give back to their communities. “We have signature events like Pack the Dome and there will be service opportunities for students and faculty on campus, but we really wanted to open this up to our larger Panther community,” said Amdor. “We’re excited to encourage our alumni across the country and abroad to give back to their communities and share that with us.” Alongside UNI’s Day of Service, UNI will also be hosting a TEDx event as a part of the signature event programming for the sesquicentennial anniversary. The TEDx event invites students, faculty and alumni alike to apply to host a talk that is in line with TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading.” According to Amdor, applications for speakers close on Feb. 17, and the application can be found on the UNI 150th website.
Beyond UNI’s overarching 150th anniversary and all of the signature events that the steering committee are planning, there are large campus milestones that will also happen during the 150th anniversary year. According to Amdor, in 2026 the McLeod Center will celebrate its 20th anniversary, the UNI Dome will celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Campanile will celebrate its 100th anniversary, and both the Panther Marching Band and the UNI men’s basketball team will both celebrate its 125th seasons. “We’re really looking forward to sharing stories from the history of these pillars of our campus, and likewise, we’re looking forward to hearing stories from alumni,” said Amdor. The steering committee plans on drawing inspiration from the UNI Museum when telling UNI’s historical stories. The UNI Museum will have a dedicated exhibit that lives in the Rod Library museum, as well as exhibits available across campus. Amdor noted that Maucker Union, the Gallagher Bleudorn and the McLeod Center are just a few locations of historical exhibits to celebrate the anniversary. “We also hope to take exhibits on the road,” said Amdor, elaborating on how the university wants to help bring the anniversary celebration to people. “We’re wanting to package up pieces of the exhibit to take to the Iowa State Fair and different alumni events across the state…we’re hoping that all eras of UNI are represented and will be something people get to check out when they’re here for family weekend or homecoming.”
As more departments across UNI’s campus announce how they will also celebrate the 150th anniversary, Amdor noted that any and all 150th celebration information can be found at 150.uni.edu. “This isn’t just a campus-wide event, it’s a statewide event,” said Amdor. The steering committee will help kick off celebrations this upcoming academic year.
