University of Iowa

Darcell Stokes came to Iowa not knowing what she wanted to study. The Waterloo native found her academic passion studying social justice issues, became integrated in the LGBTQ community through the Pride Alliance Center, and now aims to study law.

Inside and outside the classroom, University of Iowa junior Joseph Haggerty is combining his interests in the environment and issues facing the LGBTQ community while developing skills for a successful career in advocacy.

Jacob Lensing tackles research challenges with an athlete's drive. The first-year College of Dentistry student from Pella, Iowa, has made great strides comparing the efficacy of materials used to seal and protect the inside of a tooth after a root canal.

Jon Lensing always knew he wanted to pursue a career in medicine. But deep into his medical-school path, he focused on launching a business-one he and his co-founders designed to meet a need in the medical industry-and soon saw its numbers skyrocket due to COVID-19.

The Zada Cooper Leadership Committee recently announced the 2019-2020 recipients of the Zada Cooper Student Leadership Award. Three students received this honor for embodying the leadership qualities of Zada Cooper, a UI College of Pharmacy student and faculty member in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The nominees for the leadership award have made meaningful contributions to students and the surrounding communities through service and provided exemplary leadership and commitment to an organization. Nominees have mentored future leaders, inspired and motivated others to act through service, and demonstrated initiative, creativity, and perseverance to challenge the present and enrich the future.

Savannah DeGroot is driven to serve the LGBTQ+ community and the homeless.

Inspired years ago by a school speech pathologist, New Jersey native Ally Valde aims to make a similar impact-to help others who struggle with communicating-and has grown into an advocate for equal access for students and individuals with disabilities.

While studying neuroscience at the University of Iowa, Suraj Rao has been able to maintain a connection to his cultural heritage in Southeast Asia.

Laurence Chan was trying to figure out what he wanted in life when he realized he wanted to help people figure out what they wanted in life.

Gordon Louie is committed to creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment within higher education. One way he hopes to help do that is by serving as an inaugural member of the UI Pan Asian Council at the University of Iowa.

Laxmi Annapureddy grew up straddling her Indian traditions and American culture. The sophomore from Urbandale credits the University of Iowa with deepening her appreciation of her ancestral roots and connecting to her Indian identity.

Each year, about 7,000 students are employed through the University of Iowa's student hourly and work-study employment programs. Bryan Mulrooney -- the UI's student employee of the year -- and seven other student employees and seven student employee supervisors were recognized during the 2019-20 National Student Employment Week (April 13-17).

The University of Iowa's most prestigious awards for faculty, staff, and students were announced April 21 on the Hancher-Finkbine website. UI President Bruce Harreld and Vice President for Student Life Sarah Hansen introduced the history of the awards and the tradition of the Finkbine Dinner, which was canceled this year due to COVID-19, before recognizing this year's recipients.

It has been well documented for many weeks that New York City is quantifiably the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, with more than 118,000 confirmed cases and nearly 11,000 deaths. Noly Agdinaoay, a student in the University of Iowa's Master of Science in Nursing-Doctor of Nursing Practice (MSN-DNP) program, has been working at the BronxCare Health System Hospital in New York City since well before the virus landed on American soil.

The transition to medical school can be tough. For Kalyn Campbell, a fourth-year student in the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine, it helped to know she wasn't alone. For Campbell and other medical students at Iowa, a community-centered approach ensures students have the support they need to tackle medical school's toughest challenges. "Initially, I wanted to enter politics," says Campbell. "Then I realized I didn't want to spend my life worrying about what other people think of me. I didn't want to have to worry if I went to the grocery store in my pajamas."

For fourth-year University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine student Victor Hatcher, the biggest takeaway from his time at Iowa has been the opportunities he's been given. "You have to be open-minded. Take every experience that's offered to you," says Hatcher. "Even if those experiences don't end up being exactly what you're looking for, they often branch off into other paths that allow you to meet new people and experience new things."

The University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine periodically profiles graduate students in its program. Meet Ashley Brate, a student in the immunology graduate program.

Growing up in Beijing, China, Hanxi Tang knew at a young age that she had a keen interest in science. She relished opportunities to visit her mother, a pathology doctor, at work. That work setting was often a research lab that fascinated Tang, as it was full of activity and hands-on learning experiences such as expelling water through a needle from a syringe. An inspiring biology teacher in high school further nurtured Tang's enthusiasm for science. As Tang considered her college options, she was drawn to the University of Iowa because of its nationally-ranked hospital and medical school. She also liked the idea of living in a small college town coupled with the friendliness of the Midwest. Now a junior, Tang describes her University of Iowa experience as exceptional. "Even before I arrived on campus, I got a lot of support from the ISSS office. Students are well-supported and my professors are both knowledgeable and helpful. In fact, everyone on campus has been very helpful," says Tang. In addition to excelling in her coursework as a biology major, Tang has contributed to the University of Iowa and the surrounding community through her volunteer work at both UI Hospitals & Clinics and the UI Mobile Clinic. She also works as an undergraduate research assistant in not one, but two research labs: the Plumert cognitive psychology lab and the Kitamoto neurogenetics lab. Unfortunately, the recent coronavirus pandemic prompted a pivot away from some of these activities. Most of the work in the research labs has been suspended, and much of her volunteer work had to be put on pause. Before long, Tang was invited to temporarily replace her employment in the Kitamoto lab with a screener position at UI Hospitals & Clinics. For 10-15 hours each week, Tang helps screen incoming patients, staff, and visitors at UI Hospitals & Clinics entrances by asking them about current coughs or fevers. "We are essentially checking for any symptoms of respiratory illness," says Tang.

Allie Stutting was worried about her own grandparents when she first began to hear of a possible spread of coronavirus in the U.S. and its effect on the elderly and other at-risk populations. But it was a tweet about people she didn't know that propelled her to take action: An elderly couple in Oregon had flagged down a woman in a store parking lot, asking her to shop for them because they were fearful to go inside. "I was thinking of my grandparents, and how cool it was that this woman had solved that couple's concerns," Stutting says. "So, I put out my own tweet in hopes of starting a network of young, able-bodied folks who can help."

Thousands of K-12 students rely on meals served at schools across Johnson County, schools that have now been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to connect students, parents, and other community members with resources to help them find meals, University of Iowa undergraduate Russell Martin created a website that maps food and meals available at area schools, food banks, and soup kitchens across the area. "When I saw that a group of college students had created a similar site in California, I thought it would be a great resource to have something like this for our community," said says Martin, a senior in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering. "Schools that are closed for instruction are still serving meals, but I felt it was important to let K-12 students know where they could get meals that might be closer to their homes."

Allie Stutting was worried about her own grandparents when she first began to hear of a possible spread of coronavirus in the U.S. and its effect on the elderly and other at-risk populations. But it was a tweet about people she didn't know that propelled her to take action: An elderly couple in Oregon had flagged down a woman in a store parking lot, asking her to shop for them because they were fearful to go inside. "I was thinking of my grandparents, and how cool it was that this woman had solved that couple's concerns," Stutting says. "So, I put out my own tweet in hopes of starting a network of young, able-bodied folks who can help."

Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs) play a significant role in our nation's health care system, particularly in rural settings where they work alongside Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and often serve as the community's only option for administering anesthesia during medical procedures. In Iowa, for example, CRNAs are the sole provider of all anesthesia services in 88 of 117 community hospitals in the state. Current University of Iowa SRNAs Rachel Westernik and Sarah Rohde are working on a clinical rotation at Spencer Hospital in Spencer, Iowa, where, in addition to their regular workload, they are actively preparing for any COVID-19 cases that may enter their facility. The two were recently given the daunting task of teaching ICU nurses and respiratory therapists how to convert and utilize anesthesia devices for ICU ventilation.

Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs) play a significant role in our nation's health care system, particularly in rural settings where they work alongside Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and often serve as the community's only option for administering anesthesia during medical procedures. In Iowa, for example, CRNAs are the sole provider of all anesthesia services in 88 of 117 community hospitals in the state. Current University of Iowa SRNAs Rachel Westernik and Sarah Rohde are working on a clinical rotation at Spencer Hospital in Spencer, Iowa, where, in addition to their regular workload, they are actively preparing for any COVID-19 cases that may enter their facility. The two were recently given the daunting task of teaching ICU nurses and respiratory therapists how to convert and utilize anesthesia devices for ICU ventilation.

Zoe Hicks wanted to combine her fascination with the human body with her love of sports. The Californian found that opportunity as an athletic training student for the Hawkeyes.

As an undergraduate student, Charles Martin-Stanley II developed a passion for sociology and social justice. In a doctoral program at the University of Iowa, he is using that passion to develop real-world solutions that aim to keep black men in college.

As a young girl in Kenya, Margaret Mungai aspired to become a doctor. Now, the University of Iowa biology major not only is poised to attend medical school, she is aiming to advance novel treatments for disease as a physician-scientist

University of Iowa senior Adeline Barron knows a challenge when she sees one. After a childhood amid civil unrest in Ivory Coast and times of financial hardship in Des Moines, Barron found inspiration at the University of Iowa. Here, she is a champion for underrepresented voices on campus, and aims to have a career in higher education administration.

Since the publication of an interview with him last year that appeared in the University of Iowa Department of Internal Medicine's "Making the Rounds" e-newsletter, UI undergraduate researcher Benjamin Kirk has continued to work ahead of the curve, attending, presenting, and winning poster awards at the 2020 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and at the 2019 American Society for Cell Biology/European Molecular Biology Organization Meeting. Most recently, Kirk received the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award from the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates. Kirk, a member of the Abel Lab, will also receive a $1,000 travel award, which he intends to use to attend either the 2020 Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science Conference or the 2020 American Society for Cell Biology Conference.

Tartil Ali is thankful for the role models in her life, and the University of Iowa student looks to pay their contributions forward through her work on campus, in the community, and in a future health care career.

Anytime there is an opportunity for involvement, Takayla "T.K." Al-Amin answers the bell. The University of Iowa undergraduate has held leadership roles and worked with professional sports teams and local athletic organizations, experiences that will serve her well as she looks forward to a career in the sports industry.