Ben Cooper will graduate from the University of Iowa in spring 2025 with a BS in biology on a neurobiology track and EMT certification through the Iowa Health Care Emergency Medical Services Learning Resources Center.
Story: Emily Nelson
Photography: Tim Schoon
Published: May 7, 2025
It was through his classes and professors at the University of Iowa that Ben Cooper discovered a love of neurobiology. It was through his work with Undergraduate Student Government that he found a love for working with people and advocating for them.
These discoveries led to what he plans to do next with his life.
“When I realized medicine was an opportunity to combine all of these things, it was an easy decision,” says Cooper, who will graduate with a BS in biology on a neurobiology track and start this fall at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
Cooper came into college knowing he enjoyed science. He started as a neuroscience major but soon realized he enjoyed the biology side more than psychology. Neurobiology allowed him to focus on biology but still incorporate his interest in psychology.
However, student government was new to Cooper. And he has his mom, in part, to thank for him getting involved.
“My mom made me join a few student organizations when I started, and I got an email about Undergraduate Student Government,” says Cooper, who served as the organization’s internal chief of staff this past year. “It was a shot in the dark because it wasn’t something I’d done before, but I’m very thankful for it because I’ve grown to love it.”
It was through his work with USG that he also had the best experience in his time at Iowa so far.
“I traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for student well-being, including student mental health services as well as affordability of college, at the federal level,” Cooper says. “That was really meaningful and a great opportunity to see how student voices can have an impact on national policy and that student voices do make a difference.”
Ben Cooper
Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
Degree: BS in biology on a neurobiology track; EMT certification through the Iowa Health Care Emergency Medical Services Learning Resources Center
What’s next: Starting in the fall at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
Cooper says he plans to continue his advocacy work as a medical professional, not only for his direct patients but also on behalf of underserved communities.
Along with USG, Cooper has been involved with On Iowa!, a Presidential Charter Committee, tutoring, volunteering at the UIowa Mobile Clinic and University of Iowa Health Care, and working as a research assistant in the Iowa Neuropathology Resource Laboratory and Urology Clinic.
Why did you choose to come to Iowa?
I was born and raised in Iowa City, and the University of Iowa has always been a home for academic and intellectual thought. I really enjoyed the campus community as I was growing up. I’ve enjoyed attending Hawkeye football games as long as I can remember. I think the University of Iowa provides a great opportunity for students to excel at what they want to do. There’s so many opportunities on campus that you really can’t go wrong.
What surprised you the most about the University of Iowa?
I’ve been surprised by how invested the university is in all aspects of student life. This includes things like Uber Subsidized Ride Program, which just started this past year, but also all the embedded therapists and counselors we have. How much investment leaders have put into student well-being is something that took me by surprise.
What provided you with the greatest sense of belonging while at the University of Iowa?
The University of Iowa has all these awesome opportunities on campus, and it’s got all of these privileges that a large academic institution should have. But it still has the small-town feel where I can run into my friends downtown and be able to see somebody I know every single day. I think this is an awesome opportunity that is specific to the University of Iowa. I feel belonging because of the community that the University of Iowa has built.
What did you get out of your Iowa experience that you don’t feel you would have gotten elsewhere?
Everything at the University of Iowa is so interconnected. For instance, this past year I had a neurobiology lab course, and my research mentor was one of the lecturers. Being able to see her lecture as part of the curriculum was really neat to me.
I’ve also been able to work in a research lab as an undergraduate student, which has been an awesome experience. One, it’s shaped my career after graduation. I’m very much interested in continuing in research postgraduation. But, also, it's been an opportunity to learn and make mistakes. Often in classrooms, there’s a desire to be right and deliver your best performance. And that's not always the case in science; a lot of it is failure. So, I think being able to work in a research lab as an undergraduate student is an awesome way to experience failure and recognize that it's OK to fail.
Who was your most important mentor here, and what role did they play in your experience?
The biggest mentor that I’ve had is Dr. Kimberly Fiock, the director of the Iowa Neuropathology Resource Laboratory. She has given me a lot of insight into what her daily life looked like as a PhD student as well as a director of a lab. Having that insight and knowing what it actually takes to work in academia and what postgraduation looks like, even with a BS, was really important to me.
What advice would you give to future Hawkeyes?
The best piece of advice I would give is to get involved. My college experience was shaped by the people around me. Getting involved and getting to meet people and seeing what you like versus what you don’t like is a valuable experience unique to college. It’s an opportunity to grow and discover what you want to do for the rest of your life.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
I’d like to thank my family, my mom and dad in particular, for their unwavering support and the countless sacrifices they’ve made to help me reach this point.To my friends, thank you for the friendship, the counsel, and the laughs that carried me through. It will be my mom's birthday on commencement, so happy birthday, Mom!