In advance of a December event debuting the Legislature’s new Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa — promising to foster “greater viewpoint diversity on campus” — organizers emailed personal invitations to nearly 100 lawmakers, all of them Republicans.
State Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, speaks at a Dec. 5, 2025, panel discussion at the Old Capitol in Iowa City as part of the Center for Intellectual Freedom’s inaugural event on the University of Iowa campus. Collins, chair of the Iowa House Higher Education Committee, sponsored the bill that created the center.
Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks the evening of Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at the Old Capitol building in Iowa City at the inaugural event of the University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom in Iowa City. Reynolds signed the bill that created the center.
Luciano de Castro, a University of Iowa economics professor and interim director of the Center for Intellectual Freedom, speaks Dec. 6, 2025, during the center’s inaugural event, at Old Capitol on the UI campus in Iowa City.
David Barker of Iowa City, assistant secretary for postsecondary education for the U.S. Department of Education and former member of the Iowa Board of Regents, delivers a statement during a Dec. 6, 2025, panel discussion at the Center for Intellectual Freedom’s inaugural event at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He was joined on the panel by state Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis (center) and state Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, R-Walcott.
Community members listen to a panel on “The New Effort: CIF” during a Dec. 5, 2025, discussion in Old Capitol on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. The panel discussions were part of the Dec. 5-6 debut of UI Center for Intellectual Freedom. Panelists were Iowa Regent Christine Hensley, state Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, R-Walcott, state Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Barker, and UI professor Luciano de Castro.
Iowa Regent Christine Hensley of Des Moines speaks during a Dec. 5, 2025, panel discussion at Old Capitol in Iowa City as part of the inaugural event for the University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom.
Adam Kissel of Charleston, W.V., a member of The Heritage Foundation, asks panelists on Dec. 5, 2025, how they would measure the success of the new Center for Intellectual Freedom on the University of Iowa campus. The panelists — part of the center’s inaugural weekend in Iowa City — said one measure would be student enrollment.
Community members listen to a panel on “The New Effort: CIF” during a Dec. 5, 2025, discussion in Old Capitol on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. The panel discussions were part of the Dec. 5-6 debut of UI Center for Intellectual Freedom. Panelists were Iowa Regent Christine Hensley, state Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, R-Walcott, state Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Barker, and UI professor Luciano de Castro.
David Barker of Iowa City, assistant secretary for postsecondary education for the U.S. Department of Education and former member of the Iowa Board of Regents, delivers a statement during a Dec. 6, 2025, panel discussion at the Center for Intellectual Freedom’s inaugural event at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He was joined on the panel by state Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis (center) and state Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, R-Walcott.
State Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, speaks at a Dec. 5, 2025, panel discussion at the Old Capitol in Iowa City as part of the Center for Intellectual Freedom’s inaugural event on the University of Iowa campus. Collins, chair of the Iowa House Higher Education Committee, sponsored the bill that created the center.
Luciano de Castro, a University of Iowa economics professor and interim director of the Center for Intellectual Freedom, speaks Dec. 6, 2025, during the center’s inaugural event, at Old Capitol on the UI campus in Iowa City.
Iowa Regent Christine Hensley of Des Moines speaks during a Dec. 5, 2025, panel discussion at Old Capitol in Iowa City as part of the inaugural event for the University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom.
Adam Kissel of Charleston, W.V., a member of The Heritage Foundation, asks panelists on Dec. 5, 2025, how they would measure the success of the new Center for Intellectual Freedom on the University of Iowa campus. The panelists — part of the center’s inaugural weekend in Iowa City — said one measure would be student enrollment.
Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks the evening of Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at the Old Capitol building in Iowa City at the inaugural event of the University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom in Iowa City. Reynolds signed the bill that created the center.
