About IIHR

  • About IIHR

    More than a century of world-renowned fluids-related research

    Aerial view of a five story, red brick builting near a river and a dam.

  • About IIHR

    Educating students for a changing world

    A male student checks out a ship model

  • About IIHR

    Service for a more resilient Iowa

    A young woman student picks up trash along railroad tracks

  • About IIHR

    Computational simulations fuel new discoveries

    Colorful computational simulation of a propeller in water
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IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering is a world-renowned center for education, research, and public service focusing on fluids. Based in the C. Maxwell Stanley Hydraulics Laboratory, a five-story red brick building on the banks of the Iowa River, IIHR is a unit of the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering. At IIHR, students, faculty members, and research engineers work together to understand and manage one of the world’s greatest resources—water. Students from around the world benefit from IIHR’s comprehensive multidisciplinary approach, which includes laboratory experimentation, computational approaches, and observational field research.

Mission

IIHR’s mission is to advance science and technology, providing innovative solutions for fluids-related problems while building upon its long tradition of excellence in laboratory, field, and simulation-based research and education.

Vision

IIHR’s vision is to be the recognized leader in fluids-related
science, engineering, research, and discovery.

Value

IIHR comprises a diverse community that values excellence through integrity, transparency, mutual support, and respect. Our culture is rooted in scientific curiosity, mentorship, service, and stewardship.

2020–24 Strategic Plan

IIHR’s 2020–24 Strategic Plan, developed over a 12-month period, includes five main goals related to: 1) Research; 2) Education; 3) Engagement and Service; 4) Advancement; and 5) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

View the Full Strategic Plan

Location

The C. Maxwell Stanley Hydraulics Laboratory (SHL) is IIHR’s flagship building and its intellectual and administrative hub. It is located on South Riverside Drive in Iowa City, Iowa, set on the banks of the Iowa River on the University of Iowa’s beautiful 1,700-acre campus. Many IIHR researchers, staff members, visiting researchers, and students have offices in SHL.

IIHR maintains 10 facilities, several of which support the lab’s extensive physical modeling activities. Click the button below for a map and list of these facilities, with links to information about each.

Building Locator Map

Did you know?

Amina Grant smiles for the camera on the IIHR patio

Our People

  • IIHR alumni represent many countries worldwide.
  • About 38 faculty members and 45 research engineers and scientists work at IIHR.
  • IIHR has professional staff dedicated to the shops, research computing, and administration.
  • IIHR hosts many international visiting scholars and students each year.
Black and white photo of the first small hydraulics lab

Stanley Hydraulics Lab

  • The first hydraulics lab, which grew to became today’s C. Maxwell Stanley Hydraulics Lab (SHL), opened in 1920 on the banks of the Iowa River.
  • UI architect George Horner designed the Stanley Hydraulics Lab, which is a hybrid of Romanesque Revival and Art Moderne architectural styles.
  • SHL was renovated in 2002 and renamed to honor 1926 UI engineering alumnus C. Maxwell Stanley.
  • In 2000, the American Water Works Association designated SHL as an American Water Landmark.
  • In 2005, the American Society of Civil Engineers awarded prestigious National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark status to SHL.
Two men look at a prototype for propeller performance

Programs & More

  • Grants and contracts from a wide range of sources support IIHR research, including: state and federal government agencies; nonprofit organizations and foundations; public utility districts; engineering firms; municipalities; and more.
  • IIHR’s Lucille A. Carver Mississippi Riverside Environmental Research Station (LACMRERS) was the first university-owned facility on the Upper Mississippi River.
  • The Iowa Flood Center, founded at IIHR in 2009, is the nation’s first university-based center for study and research dedicated to floods.
  • The Iowa Geological Survey, with a history dating back to 1855, joined IIHR in 2014 to provide expertise in groundwater modeling, mapping of Iowa’s earth and mineral resources, innovative geophysical skills, and more.

Contact Us

If you know the person you wish to reach, visit our People page (also in the menu above) for contact information.

Otherwise, most questions can be answered or referred to the correct person by using any of these contacts.

IIHR Main Office
319-335-5237

Larry Weber
IIHR Director
319-335-5597