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The Tippie College of Business is reimagining its campus as a launch pad for the next generation of leaders — a place where every space reflects the ambition, innovation, and energy of its students and programs.
At the heart of this transformation is a renewed focus on the undergraduate experience. Tippie’s programs will be more hands-on, immersive, and personalized than ever before. Students gain real-world skills through active learning, tailored career support, and an education that integrates communication and resiliency across every stage of their journey.
This evolution has already yielded remarkable results. Tippie is now recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top-20 public business school, and enrollment has nearly tripled since the Pappajohn Business Building (PBB) opened in 1994.
To match this momentum, Tippie is investing in a stunning new business campus that spans an entire city block — a space designed to embody its bold vision for the future. Working with Iowa City’s Neumann Monson Architects, the college will renovate the Pappajohn Business Building, revitalize the historic Gilmore Hall, and link the two with a luminous glass atrium — the new “heart” of the business campus.
More than a building project, this transformation is a physical expression of Tippie’s mission: to create a vibrant, collaborative environment that inspires learning, connection, and leadership. As Dean Amy Kristof-Brown notes, these changes will make the college’s priorities visible — showcasing Tippie’s commitment to student success and its role as a catalyst for business innovation.
Before: Tippie students relied on the university’s main career center across Market Street in the Pomerantz Center.
After: The new Tippie Career Services Center, located off the atrium in Pappajohn Business Building (PBB), brings career planning directly to where students learn and collaborate. Staff with specialized expertise in business recruiting cycles will offer tailored guidance and connections.
The design supports employer visits, networking events, and industry-led programming, helping Tippie students build relationships that launch careers.
“There are a lot of employers who want to connect with our students,” says Cindy Meis, Director of Tippie Undergraduate Career Services. “The new space helps move us forward with this professional development focus.”
Before: Tippie pioneered the Big Ten’s first business-specific writing and communication center, but its original home—tucked away on PBB’s third floor—was easy to miss.
After: The new Frank Business Communication Center and communications lab will occupy a highly visible space and incorporate cutting-edge tools. Students will practice presentation and persuasion skills using virtual reality simulations, stepping into AI-generated boardrooms filled with skeptical or combative “executives.”
This immersive experience helps students strengthen their composure, adaptability, and confidence—skills essential for leadership in any setting.
“Students learn not just what to say, but how to stay centered when their ideas face resistance,” says Center Director Carl Follmer.
Before: PBB offered natural light and a few outdoor tables—but Iowa’s weather often limited their use.
After: Recognizing that many students spend up to 14 hours a day in the building, the renovation emphasizes wellness. The light-filled atrium adds comfortable, year-round seating, while the revitalized courtyard creates a “business green” with shaded gathering areas for studying, socializing, and decompressing in natural light and fresh air.
These design choices support the physical and mental well-being of Tippie’s high-achieving students.
Before: Academic advising, tutoring, and applied learning opportunities were dispersed throughout PBB and beyond, requiring students to navigate multiple offices.
After: The new Undergraduate Program Office, located at one end of the atrium, becomes a one-stop hub for academic and career support. A flexible Student Success Suite will host tutoring sessions, study groups, Tippie Thrive workshops, and case competition practices—all in one dynamic, adaptable space.
“The reconfiguration enhances the quality of programming that we’re already so good at delivering,” says Associate Dean Ken Brown (Keene).
Before: Many classrooms were designed for lecture-based learning, with tiered, fixed seating.
After: Two new flexible, tech-enabled classrooms will support interactive, hands-on instruction. Students might network in a simulated event, manage a crisis communications scenario, or collaborate virtually with peers across the globe.
Major presentations will take place in an executive-style conference room overlooking the new business green—blending academic rigor with real-world professionalism.
“As much as possible, we try to simulate the experience of the first job students might have right after graduation,” says Follmer.
Icon image above and information for this project page can be found here: https://tippie.uiowa.edu/news/2025/09/tippie-tomorrow
Project Type: Educational
Owner: University of Iowa
