University Of Iowa

Actor and producer, Ashton Kutcher, began his career as a model and soon ventured into acting, where he found success appearing in a string of romantic comedies. Besides acting, he is a venture capitalist and has successfully invested in several high technology start-ups. He is also actively involved in humanitarian work.

Perhaps the most loved Willy Wonka of them all, Gene Wilder was one of the main reasons for the popularity of the iconic character, which he played in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Apart from acting and writing, Gene was also instrumental in promoting cancer awareness through his organization Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center.

As a huge fan of the Second City improv troupe during his growing up days, Jake Johnson aspired to become a comedian. It was this aspiration that made him achieve what he has achieved today as an actor and comedian in the American film industry.

Albert Bandura is a Canadian-American psychologist who has made significant contributions to several fields of psychology, such as personality psychology, therapy, and social cognitive theory. Regarded as the greatest living psychologist, Bandura is also counted among the most influential psychologists ever. He has been honored with over 16 honorary degrees. In 2016, Albert Bandura received the National Medal of Science.

Alex Karras was an American footballer, sportscaster, actor, and professional wrestler. A four-time Pro Bowl player, Karras was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. In 1977, he was also inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame. As an actor, he is remembered for playing George Papadopolis in the TV series, Webster.

Ettore Ewen, better known by his ring name, Big E Langston, currently performs for the WWE’s SmackDown. The 290-pound wrestler first gained fame as a footballer at the University of Iowa. He had also been a powerlifter before taking up wrestling. He has also voiced Canon Wulf in Lazor Wulf.

Jayaprakash Narayan was a theorist, political leader, socialist, and Indian independence activist. Often referred to as the Hero of Quit India Movement, Jayaprakash Narayan was honored with the prestigious Magsaysay Award in 1965 for Public Service. He was posthumously honored with India's highest civilian award—The Bharat Ratna—in 1999.

Reza Aslan is an Iranian-American writer, TV host, and scholar of sociology of religion. A multi-talented personality, Aslan also serves as a professor at the University of California, Riverside. Over the course of his career, Reza Aslan has been honored with several prestigious awards including the East-West Media Award in 2012 and the Media Bridge-Builder Award in 2013.

Jim Yong Kim, or Kim Yong, was born in South Korea and later moved to the US, where he grew up to be the president of the World Bank. The physician and anthropologist has also taught at Harvard Medical School, his alma, and co-owns the medical care company Partners in Health.

Holiday Reinhorn is the author the bestselling book Big Cats. She has written for various literary magazines such as Zoetrope: All-Story and Gulf Coast. She and her husband, actor Rainn Wilson, both follow the Baháʼí faith. Reinhorn has also co-established a non-profit for Haitian women interested in writing, named Lide.