Though he'd never say so himself, Sunny Kothari is a consummate leader, both as the president of multiple campus organizations and as a model student who exemplifies all five pillars of the IOWA Challenge: Excel, Stretch, Engage, Choose, and Serve.

The Iowa native is an honors student majoring in medical physics and integrative physiology, with plans to attend medical school after he graduates. "When I came to the University of Iowa," he says, "I knew I wanted to pursue a major that strongly utilized problem-solving skills but still involved my true passion in the field of medicine. The applied physics major allows students to gain an understanding of physics and to use that knowledge in situations related to the field of medicine. The integrative physiology major was a natural addition for its focus on the physiology of the human body." Because he's also minoring in math and chemistry, he doesn't have much time for elective coursework—but when he manages to fit a non-required course into his schedule, it's usually in psychology or philosophy, as he finds the science of the human mind a constant source of fascination and inspiration.  

He's also involved with faculty research—an opportunity usually reserved for graduate students but which the UI also extends to undergraduates. Since 2010, Sunny has worked as a student lab assistant at the University Hospitals and Clinics Department of Neurology Recober Lab, where he also volunteers. "Dr. Recober runs the Headache Clinics at the hospital," he explains, "so, much of our research revolves around the pathophysiology of pain that is implicated in migraines, a condition that affects more than 10% of the U.S. population. We apply a mouse model in order to thoroughly study the areas of the central nervous system that are involved in producing and/or exacerbating migraines."

Somehow, between his coursework and his research, Sunny finds time to serve as the president of Medicus, a student organization that educates pre-med undergraduates on issues related to the medical field, and of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean's Student Advisory Committee, where he and fellow members help the College understand the needs of students and how to assist them. And as an Honors Peer Advisor, he hosts prospective UI students and their families, drawing from his own experience to advise them on course combinations, study skills, and student life.

Sunny's advice for first-year students is daunting but wise: "Learn and remember the name of every person you meet. Chances are that you will meet them again down the road, whether as a neighbor, as a classmate, or out on the town. And it makes your college experience all that more exciting when you know nearly every person on campus. Knowing and befriending others can not only make a college experience more interesting and exciting, but also more safe and secure. It is definitely a skill useful for the real world, too."