‘Medieval Magic’ sabbatical. Good night, Captain Trang.
2/4/2026Each February, we review the sabbaticals (or, as stated by the Iowa Board of Regents, “professional development assignments”) granted to the professors at the state’s three public universities: Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa. For us common folk, a sabbatical may be used to take time off of work for a lengthy vacation. For these professors, the PDAs are used to do research, develop curricula, write books and create art. And other things.
Some of the requested PDAs are fascinating, others are head-scratching, and some actually garner curiosity about what the profs might learn. For the fiscal year 2027, there were 105 total requests at a taxpayer cost of $325,092. The bulk, $291,161, is from the University of Iowa. ISU has only $3,624, and UNI has $30,307. The Board of Regents has stated in recent years that the findings and accomplishments of these PDAs have resulted in millions of dollars in grants and external funding.
Iowa State University
The Cyclones had 35 PDA recipients. Many of these were related to academic findings related to agriculture, healthcare and veterinary science. Seven were related to artificial intelligence or machine learning findings. None related to why Matt Campbell decided to leave for Penn State. These are some of the ones we found the most interesting.
Michael Bailey, a history professor with 22 years of service, will study “Medieval Magic: A History of Disbelief.” Bailey is a professor and global expert in the history of medieval magic, witchcraft and superstition. He will study how disbelief developed in the Middle Ages, enriching the understanding of an important component of medieval culture. The results will be published in a book, sharing the same title and contributing to his teachings. He also requested $270,000 in external funding to support this assignment.
History Professor Brian Behnken, with 16 years of service, will write the first draft of “The Rise and Fall of Blockbuster Video.” The book will detail the history of the once popular video lending service and Behnken says it will fill a much-needed gap in modern American business history. The PDA is expected to lead to a new Iowa State course chronicling popular businesses that have failed.
Tao Wang, an associate professor of history with 11 years of service, will complete a book, “The Hawkeye State and The Middle Kingdom: A History of Relations Between Iowa and China.” He says the work will result in peer-reviewed journal articles, public presentations, exhibitions, and enhancements for ISU courses, including a new course on the history between Iowa and China.
University of Iowa
The Hawkeyes had, by far, the most requests, which has been common for them over the last few years. For 2027, UI had 67 requests ranging from serious work in medical fields of all sorts to ecology in river ecosystems and religious studies. There were also some unique topics.
Paul Dilley, associate professor of liberal arts and sciences-religious studies with 15 years of service will work on “The First Edition and Translation of the Life of Eupraxia: The Therapeutics of Laughter in Ancient Monasticism.” Dilley brings some scientific findings to the age-old quote “laughter is the best medicine.” Eupraxia, a Greek saint in fifth-century Egypt, allegedly provides the best evidence for a positive assessment of laughter and humor within early Christianity. Dilley will use the resulting digital edition in multiple courses at UI.
Associate professor of liberal arts and sciences-social work, Man Guo, with 15 years of service, will research “Psychological Well-being in Older Adults: Exploring the Impact of Race/Ethnicity and Immigration Status.” The U.S. population is growing older and more diverse. Guo will use data from the Health and Retirement, the largest national study on older Americans, to examine how race, ethnicity and immigration background shape psychological well-being in aging populations. Guo says the research will find key challenges, resources and resilience factors that influence mental health across different groups of older adults. The expected outcome is to publish multiple journal articles and develop new instructional materials for courses.
Marc Linder, a law professor with 34 years of experience, will write the third volume of work relating to cigarettes. “A History of the Regulation of Cigarettes and Smoking Since the 19th Century. Volume 3: The Merchants of Fire Death.” Much is known about the health issues caused by smoking to the smoker and those surrounded by it, but this book looks at the history and death toll caused by deaths and injuries in cigarette-caused fires. It says that the third volume of the 10,000-page work unearths and presents in detail the full sweep of this public safety catastrophe from rural national forests to urban workplaces.
University of Northern Iowa
The Panthers only have three PDAs in the 2027 report. Without our judgment on which ones are the most interesting, here are all three.
Todd Bohenkamp, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders with 20 years of service, will work on “Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO): Investigating Prevalence, Comorbidities, and Barriers to Diagnosis and Care.” EILO is an upper airway disorder that can result in airflow obstruction in response to irritants or physical exertion and exercise. EILO has been reported as high as 30% in athletes in cold weather and most commonly affects adolescents and young adults, especially females, and is often misdiagnosed as asthma. This can result in ineffective treatments and unnecessary use of medicines. The project will examine the health impacts of EILO among student athletes at UNI and Auburn University and could eventually serve to benefit athletes across Iowa.
Aleksandar Poleksic, a computer science professor with 20 years of service, will work on a project titled “Advancing SARDS Research Through Academia-Industry Partnership.” Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS) is a rare eye condition in dogs that causes sudden, irreversible blindness. Mainly affecting middle-aged dogs, it occurs within weeks or sometimes days. This is allegedly the first effort to develop and validate machine learning models to understand SARDS. Poleksic will partner with the Animal Eye Consultants of Iowa in Hiawatha to provide access to a database of canine medical records.
Professor of languages and literatures with 17 years of service, Jeremy Schraffenberger, will write a novel called “The Spiritualists,” which is based on the true story of two historical figures from 19th-century Boston: Alonzo Newton and Sarah Newton. Alonzo was a spiritualist journalist and lecturer, and Sarah was a medium who claimed to communicate with the dead. The book is written from the perspective of their now elderly daughter, Ada Trowbirdge, who is visited by the ghost of her dead father. …
George Formaro has been closing the Kitchen Insider radio show each Saturday morning on KFMG with his take on Jimmy Durante’s legendary close. Skinny found out what “And good night to you, Captain Trang, wherever you are” is all about.
“Captain Trang” is Des Moines restaurateur Trang Pham, owner of Egg Roll Ladies in the Equitable Building. She is currently deployed with her Iowa Army National Guard troops to the Middle East. …
Greenwood Lounge, the Ingersoll dive bar with extraordinary free music six nights a week, has new management. In “the Wood” tradition of first names only, Shelleigh and Lisa are managing, and Bobby and Bill are still running the bar like Paul, George and Jimmy before them. The roof has been repaired and is guaranteed for 20 years, reversing a long pattern of serious leaks every time it rained more than half an inch. There is an ice machine for the first time in five years, and the soda gun is working for the first time in five months. The liquor shelves have been upgraded considerably. The free music policy and lineup remain the same. ♦
