Noorullah Shareef Mohammad, who earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology in India and recently graduated from the Cullen College of Engineering with his master’s degree in construction management, built his experiences at the University of Houston around the dichotomy of learning from new experiences and finding comfort in familiarity.
“I thought Texas would be a better place for me according to the geographical background I’m from in India. The temperature and the weather conditions are pretty similar to what it’s like in Texas, especially Houston, so I was thinking it would be a good place for me. When I came across the University of Houston and its curriculum with regards to construction management, it was a perfect fit for me,” Mohammad said.
He also felt that earning his master’s degree in the US would empower him not only with educational knowledge, but the experience of a new and different educational system.
“I already know what the education system is like and how it works in India. I wanted to learn something new and expose myself to a new environment here in the US,” he said.
“Coming from an engineering background,” he added, “I was intrigued about what the management side of things would be like – the managerial part of things as opposed to the engineering part.”
Mohammad also noted that the diversity of academic backgrounds among his peers, from architecture and civil engineering to mechanical and chemical engineering, exposed him to an even broader spread of opinions and ideas in the context of construction management.
His experience with Technology Division lecturer Chi Chung Chang, Ph.D., who possesses decades of experience in construction management and related sustainability and resiliency planning projects, was of particular interest to him.
“One specific accomplishment was being part of a project under Professor Chang. He was the main professor when it came to green buildings and LEED certification. The LEED organization gives an award to every building constructed in that particular year – bronze, silver or gold – if it qualifies certain needs to be a green, sustainable building, and I got to learn about that and be a part of his sustainability project,” Mohammad said.
While there were challenges to being an international student, Mohammad found that engaging with the community allowed him to settle in more comfortably.
“In my first semester, I had a little bit of homesickness being away from my family back in India,” he said. “That first month or so, I had a phase where I was kind of missing them, but I overcame that by getting used to the environment of meeting new people, coming across new cultures and meeting other foreign students. I made friends, attended some parties hosted by fellow students, interacted with a lot of people and even worked on campus as a proctor in the CASA testing center.”
His other secret to beating the homesick blues and enjoying some time away from campus? Mohammad is a real movie buff and has enjoyed taking advantage of his AMC Theaters Stubs A*List membership.
“I can see three movies [in theaters] a week; whenever I’m bored or have a quiet week with no events or no work, I usually end up watching movies. Back in India we don’t have this kind of a pass, so I’m really enjoying using these perks,” he said, enthused.
Mohammad doesn’t expect to go anywhere anytime soon; post-graduation, he’s excited to stick around and begin a new professional endeavor.
“I’m hopeful that I will find a job here in the US, and then I will look my way toward what will happen in the coming future.”