Ben Shapiro

Ben is a rising star in both the biochemistry field and in Jewish life on campus and beyond.

The Illini grad-who graduated first in his class as a biochemistry major-has worked in a therapeutic cancer research lab developing light-activated drugs to target malignant tumors with near-infrared lasers.

Now a University of Illinois (U of I) medical student, Ben also has contributed to work that resulted in a new patented drug, a publication in a medical journal, and a senior thesis on early cancer detection that garnered this year's first place distinction in the U of I's Department of Biochemistry.

During college, he also served as a student advisor, mentoring undergrads in molecular biology, neuroscience, and biochemistry.

Outside the classroom, he has been a bold, compassionate voice for the Jewish community on campus. As a StandithUs Emerson Fellow, he partnered with Hillel and Chabad to bring speakers to campus. Twice elected president of Illini Hillel, he helped to adopt the student government's IHRA resolution-recognizing rising antisemitism on campus. Following October 7, Ben united Hillel, Chabad, and Jewish Greek Life to issue a joint letter urging the UIUC's Board of Trustees to act on antisemitism.

AGE:
22

PRONOUNS:
he/him/his

PRIMARY GIG:
Medical student

ON THE SIDE:
Jewish Advocacy at the University of Illinois

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 10 WORDS OR LESS:
Jewish, Zionist, Advocate, Brother, Friend, Medical Student, Biomedical Researcher

A JEW WHO INSPIRES YOU:
My dad, Jon Shapiro, will always be the Jew, father, coach, teacher, and man I aspire to be. To call him “dedicated” doesn’t begin to capture the love he showed my mom, my two younger siblings, and me. Throughout my childhood, he woke up before sunrise to commute to Chicago so he could be home by 5 p.m. to coach our five combined soccer and baseball teams. Together with my mom, he encouraged our family to keep kosher and ensured we celebrated Shabbat dinner every Friday night. He lived his life as a demonstration of how to prioritize the people you love, sending us multi-page letters every day at overnight camp, spending whole days in the bleachers at weekend swim meets, and attending parent-child Hebrew school every Sunday…It is now my job to make his memory a blessing and carry these ideals forward.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS?
Ten years from now, I will be an attending physician (surgeon or anesthesiologist hopefully) in the United States Air Force, helping servicemen and their families with their medical needs. Additionally, I hope to be married and potentially be starting a family.