Healthapalooza 2025
In October 2025, the Scientific Illustration and Visualization program (SCI VIZ) at Iowa State University and Mary Greeley Medical Center hosted the second annual Healthapalooza, a week-long event celebrating the power of visual communication to improve health literacy and inspire positive change.
Healthapalooza, established by SCI VIZ Director, Kim Moss, connects students, faculty, and community partners to explore how innovative visual storytelling and technology can make health information more engaging, accessible, and actionable. The event encourages collaboration across disciplines to design creative solutions that promote community well-being.
Healthapalooza 2025 was centered on the topic of Community Fitness. Topics for the event are revealed at the kickoff, change from year-to-year, and stem from the Story County Health Needs Assessment—they are specific to making a difference in our local community.
Prize Winners
First Place ($1,500): Active Ames – Leah Ylonen, a senior in Healthcare Management, and Injir Batmunkh, a junior in Scientific Illustration and Visualization (pictured right).
Their project, Active Ames, is a personalized fitness scheduling app and calendar that reimagines fitness accessibility in Ames through awareness and connection. The app integrates fitness class schedules and amenities across the community, allowing users to customize their own fitness plans. It also includes information about all 40 city parks, highlighting key features of each.
“Healthapalooza has had such a great impact on me as it brought me a chance to find a gap in our community, and then the opportunity to provide a solution for it. It was such a great experience as my partner and I were able to combine our experiences, perspectives, and strengths and then work together to find a common goal.” – Leah Ylonen, senior, Healthcare Management
“It was a really intense but rewarding experience. I’ve been fascinated with UI/UX design recently, so I was beyond thrilled to work on a project that let me dive into that field and learn more.” – Injir Batmunkh, junior, Scientific Illustration and Visualization
Second Place ($800): Passport and Map to Ames – Emma Rios, a junior in Biology on a pre-med track, Katherine Watkins, a junior in Genetics, and Zuzanna Ratajczak, a senior double majoring in Fashion Design and Merchandising and Healthcare Management (pictured right).
Their project, Passport and Map to Ames, encourages
residents to explore the 40+ parks around town. The map highlights parks and trails with accessibility symbols, helping residents of any fitness level find the perfect place to visit. Their interactive passport invites participants to take it along the trails, featuring simple activities for all ages such as spotting local wildlife, pressing flowers or leaves from their path, and collecting hole punches as a fun way to mark and remember each completed trail.
“Participating in Healthapalooza was a wonderful experience that I’m already excited to do it again. It offered opportunities beyond the classroom, opening doors for careers, friendships, and personal growth. The best part was the pride I felt in our project, knowing we had achieved something meaningful beyond just a grade.” – Emma Rios, junior, Biology
In addition to featuring their solutions at the Healthapalooza Showcase, winning teams are also invited to present their projects at Mary Greeley’s First Friday event and a subsequent Ames City Council meeting.
Collaboration and Theme
This year’s theme, Community Fitness, challenged students to develop innovative approaches to improving health and wellness in Ames and Story County. Thirty students from 17 majors across all six Iowa State colleges took part, representing fields as diverse as design, business, health, engineering, communication, and the sciences.
Mary Greeley Medical Center generously contributed $2,300 to support student awards, and faculty and staff from both organizations volunteered their time, materials, and expertise to guide participants throughout the week. The event was jointly coordinated by the Scientific Illustration and Visualization program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Mary Greeley Medical Center with support from faculty in the Ivy College of Business and the College of Design, Kinesiology Department, SureFire Fitness of Ames, and input from Ames Mayor, John Haila.
Keynote Panel
The week began with a keynote panel moderated by Dr. John Meyer, Director of Business Development and Partner Relations at Mary Greeley Medical Center and Associate Professor of Practice in Healthcare Management, Ivy College of Business, Iowa State University. Panelists included:
- Deb Schildroth – Executive Director, Heartland of Story County and former Ames Assistant City Manager
- Michael Kitchell – retired neurologist and former board president at McFarland Clinic
- Karen Kiel Rosser – Vice President and Chief Quality and Strategy Officer, Mary Greeley Medical Center
- Kira Werstein – Teaching Professor, Director of Graduate Education for the Master of Digital Health program, Department of Kinesiology and Health, College of Health and Human Sciences, Iowa State University
- Mayor John Haila – Mayor of Ames, Iowa, Founder of Haila Architecture Structure Planning
Panelists shared insights from their fields, offering a range of perspectives on community fitness from policy and public administration to healthcare, exercise science, and design. Their discussion emphasized the importance of collaboration, accessibility, and sustained community engagement in promoting health across populations.
Learning Sessions
Students participated in hands-on learning sessions led by experts from Iowa State and the Ames community, including:
- Clif McIntosh – Associate Director, Program Operations, Student Health and Wellness, Iowa State University
- Felicitas Avendano – Owner and Head Trainer, SureFire Fitness in Ames
- Gregory J. Welk – Barbara E. Forker Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Distinguished Professor of Human Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Iowa State University
- Johnny DiBlasi – Associate Professor, Scientific Illustration and Visualization, Department of Art and Visual Culture, College of Design, Iowa State University
- Em Kief – Associate Teaching Professor, Scientific Illustration and Visualization, Department of Art and Visual Culture, College of Design, Iowa State University
These sessions gave teams the opportunity to explore topics such as artificial intelligence, user interface design, health behavior, and prototyping while deepening their understanding of community fitness.
Showcase and Awards
At the end of the week, ten interdisciplinary teams presented their projects at the Healthapalooza Showcase on Friday, October 24. Each team shared its solution with a panel of judges representing academia, healthcare, and community leaders. Judges included:
- Kira Werstein – Teaching Professor, Director of Graduate Education for the Master of Digital Health program, Department of Kinesiology and Health, College of Health and Human Sciences, Iowa State University
- Dr. John Meyer – Director of Business Development and Partner Relations, Mary Greeley Medical Center, Associate Professor of Practice in Healthcare Management, Ivy College of Business, Iowa State University
- Mayor John Haila – Mayor of Ames, Iowa, Founder of Haila Architecture Structure Planning
- Dior Kelly – Associate Professor, Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University
- Natallia Gray – Executive Director of Healthcare Initiatives, Program Director, B.S. Healthcare Management, Director of Graduate Education, Masters in Healthcare Analytics and Operations, Ivy College of Business, Iowa State University
Students proposed a wide range of ideas addressing barriers to physical activity, community engagement, and health communication. Judges praised the creativity, collaboration, and real-world potential of the projects.
“Healthapalooza was a meaningful experience that pushed me to grow in the health field, a field which I’m passionate about and plan to pursue a career in. This week-long health-focused competition not only strengthened my skills but also provided great networking opportunities with professionals and peers who share my passion for health and wellness. It was inspiring, motivating and fun to connect with others who share similar goals.” – Kailee Shroyer, senior, Kinesiology
Continuing Impact
Healthapalooza continues to highlight the transformative potential of visual storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing real community health challenges. The partnership between Iowa State University and Mary Greeley Medical Center demonstrates how academic innovation and community leadership can come together to advance public health and inspire future professionals.
As the event continues to grow, Healthapalooza remains committed to empowering students to visualize health in new ways and make a lasting impact on their communities.
SCI VIZ Director, Kim Moss commented, “Healthapalooza 2025” wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of our chief event organizer, Brooklin Border, the amazing students, and our valuable industry and on-campus partners. We look forward to continuing to grow this connection between students and the community in future Healthapalooza events and are excited about offering new ways students can have a positive impact in the Ames community.”