Matsalyn Brown, executive assistant to three consecutive deans of the Tippie College of Business, first came to Iowa with her family as part of former Governor Robert Ray's initiative to bring displaced people from Southeast Asia to the state. A member of the Tai Dam, Brown is keeping traditions alive.

The Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities is working with Mason City on roughly 20 projects throughout the community, ranging from updating the comprehensive plan to designing murals to developing an aging-in-place campaign. Several UI groups are focused exclusively on the North End, aiming to improve residents’ quality of life.