Office Description
A description of the Office of the Ombudsperson is in the University of Iowa Operations Manual. Our contact information is listed below.
Ombudspersons
Chanelle Reese, MS, NCPM, IAF Endorsed™ Facilitator, Candidate for CO-OP®, was appointed as the full-time University Ombudsperson and began on June 21, 2022. Chanelle previously served as the Associate Ombudsperson at the University of California, Merced, and the Senior Associate in the Office of the Corporate Ombuds for the American Red Cross. She specializes in conflict analysis and data reporting in conflict management and dispute resolution areas. She is trained in negotiation, mediation, conciliation, facilitation, and arbitration and utilizes the tools from each alternative dispute resolution method to effectively provide informal conflict management services to the campus community. Chanelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Old Dominion University and a Master of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Management from the University of Baltimore. She is a member of the International Ombuds Association, has completed the Foundations of an Organizational Ombuds Practice training, is an IOA Foundations Instructor, and was credentialed by the International Ombuds Association’s Board of Certification for Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioners as a Candidate for Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP®). Chanelle is also 3Practice Circle Leader, an IAF Endorsed™ Facilitator, and a Nationally Certified Professional in Mediation. In addition, she is a member of the Association of Conflict Resolution, American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section, International Association of Facilitators, California Caucus of College and University Ombuds, and OmbudsBONd. Chanelle previously held a volunteer position with the IOA CO-OP® Recertification committee and was the CCCUO Board Secretary from 2024-2025. She previously served on the CCCUO planning committee from 2023-2024, the CCCUO programming subcommittee from 2021-2024, and the conference committee for the IOA Annual Conference from 2020-2023.
E-mail: chanelle-reese@uiowa.edu
Meenakshi Gigi Durham, PhD, was appointed as the half-time faculty University Ombudsperson on July 1, 2021. She is a Professor and Collegiate Scholar in the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She holds affiliate appointments in the Department of Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies and the Department of English. Her research focuses on representations of gender and sexuality in the media, with an emphasis on the politics of the body, intersectional identities, and youth cultures. Her articles have appeared in leading peer-reviewed communication journals, and she serves on the editorial boards of many journals, as well, including Feminist Media Studies and Critical Studies in Media Communication, among others.
She is the author of the books MeToo: The Impact of Rape Culture in the Media (2021), Technosex (2016) and The Lolita Effect (2008), and the co-editor of Media and Cultural Studies: KeyWorks (2012). She is a former journalist with magazine and news reporting experience in the U.S. and overseas, including with the Times of India, Science Today, and the Pensacola News Journal. She is the recipient of the 2014 Teresa Award for the Advancement of Feminist Scholarship from the International Communication Association. She has also received major honors from the University of Iowa, including the Michael J. Brody Award for Faculty Excellence in Service (2023), the May Brodbeck Distinguished Achievement Award for Faculty (2019), and the President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence (2017).
Email: gigi-durham@uiowa.edu
Corey P. Pass, MS, NCPM, is the full-time Senior Assistant Ombudsperson; he joined the office on October 12, 2023. Corey’s 35 years of law enforcement in Colorado started at the University of Northern Colorado. Later, he worked his way up the ranks at the Estes Park Police Department and recently retired as a police captain. Corey brings strong experience in conflict resolution and restorative justice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Master of Science degree in organizational leadership with a focus in change management. Corey is also a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command. He has worked with a variety of non-profit organizations throughout his career and most recently served as the board chair for the Estes Valley Crisis Advocates and as president of the local Salvation Army. Corey is a member of the International Ombuds Association, the America Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section, and the Association for Conflict Resolution . He is a Nationally Certified Professional Mediator and a certified leader in 3 Practice Circles.
Email: corey-pass@uiowa.edu
Half Time Assistant Ombudsperson-Vacant Position (Interviewing Candidates).
All ombudspersons are available to respond any concerns that affect the campus community.
We encourage you to make an appointment so that we can ensure that someone is available to meet with you. Appointments can be made by e-mail (ombudsperson@uiowa.edu) as well as by telephone (319-335-3608), and messages can be left on our voice mail after office hours or if no one is available to take your call immediately.
Contact Us
Third Floor Jefferson Building
129 E. Washington Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 335-3608 (voice)
(319) 335-3071 (fax)
E-mail: ombudsperson@uiowa.edu
How to Find Us
Directions
We are on the third floor of the Jefferson Building. From the front door, walk down the hall towards the stairs. Either take the stairs to the third floor or turn right and then left to access the elevator. From the stairs or elevator, take a right to enter our suite. Please review the instructions to find your assigned Ombudsperson's meeting room.
Jefferson Building is on Washington Street at the corner of Dubuque Street. The building entrance is between Herteen and Stocker Jewelers and Subway. Here is a link to a map showing Jefferson building's location on campus:
https://maps.facilities.uiowa.edu/buildings/
Parking
There are some metered parking spaces along Washington and Dubuque Streets. There also are three public parking ramps nearby, including the Tower Place Ramp, 335 Iowa Avenue between Gilbert and Linn Streets; Dubuque Street Ramp, 220 S. Dubuque Street, at the corner of Burlington and Dubuque Streets; and the Capitol Street Ramp, 220 S. Clinton Street, at the corner of Clinton and Burlington Streets.