FRANKE HONORS STUDENT SPOTLIGHT - SOHAIL DAULAT

Name: Sohail Daulat

Majors: Physiology and Medical Sciences

Year in school: Junior

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Clubs/Organizations: Honors PATH Mentor, Medical Directive, Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, Allies, Crisis Text Hotline, Flying Samaritans, Om Shanti Bollywood Dance Team, DECA, South Asian Student Association, and Refugee Youth Mentorship Program

Leisure Pursuits: In my free time I love to play basketball, dance, and go on adventures near Tucson.

Research Projects: Currently, I do research in Dr. Li’s Orthopedic Wrist/hand Surgery and Biomechanical Engineering Lab. My 2 current research projects are focused on figuring out how to use minimally invasive surgery via enzymatic degradation to alleviate symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and analyzing joint spacing in arthritis patients during pinching and movement of the thumb as an early detection method for arthritis.

Plans after graduation: After graduation, I plan to go to medical school in hopes of becoming a surgeon. Currently, I am very interested in becoming an orthopedic or neurosurgeon, but I am very open to other fields. Additionally, I hope to have a further dive into public and global health by becoming a doctor without borders.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

What has been your favorite Honors course or experience that you have been involved with?

My favorite experience has been working with Dr. Pollard and helping him expand his Honors Chemistry 161/162 classes to make it more accessible to all students and overcome possible limitations. I really enjoyed taking his class as a freshman because he pushes all of his students to develop an advanced level of thinking, introduces concepts that will help us think in our future classes, and provides a great amount of support because he understands the difficulty of his class. Currently, as a preceptor for his class, I really enjoy being able to engage with his students who are in the same shoes as I was two years ago and give them the support that he and his preceptors gave me when I was in his class.  Additionally, I have had an amazing time working with him on the administrative side, where we discuss different ways to ensure his class is accessible to all students.

What is something you have done during your time at the University of Arizona of which you are especially proud?

During my time at the University of Arizona, I have been working on creating mini children's cartoon, coloring, and activity books for children all around the world to educate them about health concerns. I have had an amazing time working with colleagues of mine to translate the books in different languages and reaching out to community leaders around the world to distribute the book. It has been fascinating to see how much the children enjoy the books and to even see some schools include it in their curriculum. I cannot wait to continue developing and translating more books to expand the topics discussed in my collection and have greater reach of distribution internationally.

What message do you have for other Honors students on finding their own success?

I would tell all the honors students to reach out to honors advisors and faculty more often because there are so many resources the honors college provides that I feel many students are unaware about. I ended up learning about these opportunities later on in my college years, through being a PATH mentor and reaching out to various staff who had the answers or connected me to someone who did. The staff and faculty of the honors college are so nice and supportive that they genuinely want to help. Therefore, I greatly suggest students should reach out and ask questions about opportunities and projects that they are interested in getting involved with or need assistance with.

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

"I feel that Sohail is a conscientious and hardworking young man. He always manages to maintain a welcoming countenance despite the difficulties that plague his life and time. He is the quintessential role model for both adults and young students alike. He is someone that I will incessantly venerate for his benevolence and grandiloquence that are often corroborated with positive actions. Sohail is the inner glow or for some, the objective voice of reason that whispers “don’t give up just yet” when the journey seems insufferable and arduous. Sohail was one of the first people with whom I had the pleasure of interacting with when I first arrived in America. He was my guide through life in America for a while. He always does his best to advise me about certain classes or courses of action that would benefit me in the long run."

– Eric Foiryolo, W.A. Franke Honors College PATH Mentee

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