Vanessa Robledo, a civil and environmental engineering PhD candidate, has received the first-ever Iowa Flood Center Scholarship—a well-deserved recognition of her exceptional contributions to advancing flash flood forecasting capabilities, working with Professor Humberto Vergara.

For his commitment to serving communities and preparing for future disasters, Ayala was appointed to serve on the National Advisory Council for the Federal Emergency Management Agency on December 31, 2024. A few weeks later the entire council was dismissed by the Department of Homeland Security.