The first University of Northern Iowa woman professor who fought for equal rank and pay received special recognition on March 4, when history professor Thomas Connors paid tribute to her legacy with a talk titled, “UNI’s First Woman Professor: Laura Ensign and the Struggle for Fair Pay, Rank, and Faculty Governance under Gilchrist & Seerley.” Ensign’s contributions to UNI history are especially noteworthy as the university marks its sesquicentennial milestone in 2026.