Six members of the University of Northern Iowa community were awarded funding and support on Mar. 28 to advance early-stage ideas through the university’s Intellectual Property and Innovation Disclosure Competition IV.
The competition highlights the range of research and creativity at UNI, recognizing projects that show promise for new scholarship or commercial potential across several academic fields.
Winners include five faculty members and one graduate student. Maddy Tarantelli from the School of Music developed a practice method aimed at helping students learn instruments more efficiently by breaking down scales into incremental steps. Nashiru Muniru, a graduate student in applied engineering, created Tap-Dom—an artificial intelligence platform connecting consumers with ethical fashion brands and local events—which has already shown increased vendor visibility during pilot testing.
Magdalena Galloway from the College of Education is working on an AI-powered agent to help future teachers improve their performance on the Foundations of Reading Test required in Iowa and Wisconsin. Lawrence Escalada from physics is updating PRISMS PLUS—a high school physics curriculum—to align with new state standards, with plans to market these materials nationally.
Josh Sebree from astrochemistry discovered a unique photoacoustic phenomenon in cave crystals and will use his award to develop non-destructive methods for studying such formations. Terence Moriarty from kinesiology is designing an affordable smart shirt prototype for monitoring heat stress among athletes, firefighters, soldiers, and industrial workers.
“This year’s winners demonstrate how many innovative faculty we have from all parts of the university,” said Bill Harwood, science and technology officer and professor emeritus at UNI. “The university has support available to develop the commercial potential for these and other innovations. We encourage faculty, staff, and students to share their ideas anytime.”
UNI says it remains committed to supporting intellectual property development that benefits inventors as well as its educational mission. The next disclosure competition will be held in fall 2026.
