New Health Sciences Academic Building provides state-of-the-art space to 3 UI programs

Three of the University of Iowa's top-ranked and most popular programs will share a state-of-the-art building as they continue to grow and find more ways to serve residents of Iowa and beyond.

The Health Sciences Academic Building, located south of Slater Residence Hall at South Grand and Melrose avenues, houses the departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Health, Sport, and Human Physiology, as well as the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences department.

The building was substantially completed in 2025, with final work done over summer 2026. Communication Sciences and Disorders moved into the space in summer 2025, followed by Health, Sport, and Human Physiology in May 2026. Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences held its first class in the new space in July.

More room to learn, research, and serve

Eric Hunter, department executive officer for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, says the positive effects of the new space have been immediate. The department formerly was housed in the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center, which is slated to be razed this fall as part of the UI's facilities master plan.

"The Health Sciences Academic Building has transformed the way we teach, conduct research, deliver clinical care, and interact with one another," Hunter says. "The building was intentionally designed to bring people together, and we've already seen more informal collaboration among students, faculty, staff, and clinicians simply because we now share common spaces."

Hunter says the new clinical spaces include modern treatment and observation rooms, along with technology that gives students greater opportunities for hands-on learning and real-time guidance from faculty. A rooftop adaptive play area creates additional opportunities for teaching, research, and community engagement focused on children and families.

Rich Shields, chair and departmental executive officer of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, says the new space reflects and supports the department's growth. When he became chair 20 years ago, the department had about 90 students. Today, it is approaching 170 students across its Doctor of Physical Therapy and PhD programs.

"Our students are typically in class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and many stay into the evening to study," Shields says. "One of the features I'm most excited about is the student lounge, where they can gather between classes, study together, or share lunch as a group. In the past, our students were spread across campus. Now, we have a student-centered space designed to give back to the students who have helped this department thrive. Our faculty also have offices together in one area for the first time."

Shields says advanced technology has been built into the building's infrastructure, giving students access to equipment used in leading rehabilitation clinics across the country. Among the new resources is an AI-based suspension system that supports research involving amputation, movement disorders, fall prevention, and athletic performance. For example, the system can measure how a person responds to a fall while preventing the individual from reaching the ground.

The Department of Health, Sport, and Human Physiology has seen tremendous growth since it formed in 2010, says Gary Pierce, department executive officer. It now serves more than 2,600 undergraduate students and 100 graduate students. As enrollment increased, the department outgrew its space in the Field House.

Pierce says new teaching labs offer more space and upgraded technology from what faculty and students have used in the past. One such space is the food and nutrition science teaching lab, which gives students in nutrition courses hands-on experience. Pierce says the department has developed several practicum courses in culinary medicine and clinical nutrition interventions over the past few years but previously had lacked a dedicated space.

"I think the research and teaching lab space is really state of the art," Pierce says. "It's built to accommodate our growth, not only for the support of undergraduate students and our many courses to prepare students for various careers in health sciences and sport management, but for tenure-track faculty doing cutting-edge biomedical health research. It gives those faculty members opportunities to explore and expand their research, which makes us more competitive in attracting outstanding graduate students and external funding. It's really a huge benefit."

Making room for the future

Pierce says the department grew despite occupying a location that was not built for academic courses and research, and the new facility will help with recruitment as the department looks ahead.

"Growth for the department is good, but we also need to ensure that we continue to provide high-impact educational experiences, both in the classroom and through valuable experiential learning, as well as quality research opportunities for the students," Pierce says. "Preparing our students to enter the workforce or for competitive professional graduate programs is our top priority."

After spending more than a century as a leader in speech-language pathology and audiology, Hunter says he hopes the new building lays the foundation for the Communication Sciences and Disorders department's next 100 years.

"Prospective students and faculty immediately see a department investing in its future while honoring its remarkable history as the birthplace of speech-language pathology and audiology," Hunter says. "I appreciate the effort the university went through to put this together. With respect for what the university does and what the people in Iowa have given us, we have laid the groundwork for excellence to continue to happen in this field for the next 20, 50, 80 years."

Shields says the building's operational efficiencies and advanced technology will allow the department to invest more deeply in research, strengthen collaboration, and pursue grants that advance rehabilitation science and strive to enhance the health of humankind.

"One reason we are one of the top physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences departments in the country is because of the commitment from our faculty, staff, and students," Shields says. "Importantly, we are supported by an outstanding College of Medicine that has consistently helped us become the best we can be. Nothing is accomplished in a vacuum. Our success reflects strong leadership and support around us, including the vision that made this new space possible."

Three departments, shared possibilities

Shields says he cannot think of two better departments with which to share a building, noting that both undergraduate programs help prepare students for graduate study in physical therapy and rehabilitation science.

"Being in close proximity creates new opportunities to formalize research collaborations because we are no longer on opposite sides of campus," Shields says. "As three top-tier departments at the university, we share common principles and a commitment to improving health. It was visionary for leadership to bring us together and ask what more we can accomplish. The sky is the limit."

Many Health and Human Physiology students have an interest in physical therapy, Pierce says, so bringing the three departments under one roof could lead to productive conversations.

"We hope to have some collaboration for research between faculty and students, along with professional development opportunities and research seminars with all three departments," he says. "All of those things are still being worked out, but we want to take advantage of everyone being in the same space."

Health care today depends on people from different disciplines and backgrounds working together as part of a patient-centered team, Hunter says. The three departments within the Health Sciences Academic Building could serve the same patient at different stages of life.

"Many meaningful collaborations begin not in formal meetings but in everyday conversations," Hunter says. "The Health Sciences Academic Building was intentionally designed to create those opportunities. I believe some of the building's greatest contributions won't simply come from the technology inside it but from the relationships it helps foster among people who are passionate about improving health and quality of life."