The UI Latinx Council executive board was tasked to lead an all-virtual council for the first time in history this year, yet that didn’t stop them from creating the much-needed space relied upon by many Latinx campus members to build community. Having a place to share space has been vital for Latinx people at the University of Iowa for over 50 years. Chicana-Tejana, Rachel Garza Carreón, a staunch advocate for social justice, does many things in her role as the outreach and research librarian with University of Iowa Libraries to make the UI a more welcoming place. A vital part of that mission is to collect and document the history of the most cherished space on campus for many, the Latino Native American Cultural Center.

Current chair of the UI Latinx Council, Dana Dominguez (Pomerantz Career Center) explains how important long-lasting staff and faculty are for her and many others at the University of Iowa, and why the council has chosen Rachel Garza Carreón as the inaugural recipient and namesake for the newly created ‘Rachel Garza Carreón IMPACT Award’.