ASU Outstanding Undergrad Hana Roushdy lives at the intersection of art and medicine

By Cynde Cerf, ASU News
April 27, 2026

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2026 graduates.

For Hana Roushdy, pursuing her passions for both art and medicine in college made perfect sense. And Arizona State University, with its interdisciplinary approach, was the perfect spot to pursue both.

“I was constantly amazed by the intricacy and vastness of human biology,” she says. “I also love learning how to create art and manipulate different materials in the studio, where the variety of techniques, colors, tools and forms make the possibilities feel endless.

“... ASU gave me the opportunity to explore my interests across disciplines while being accepted in every classroom, lab and studio regardless of my major. That support helped me succeed and made ASU the right place for me.”

The 21-year-old Mesa resident is graduating this May from the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, combining studio art and biological sciences. She is being recognized as the college's Outstanding Undergraduate.

(Video: {https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxdD2uDA6lI})

“I love multidisciplinary thinking,” Roushdy says, “because it allows me to cast a wide net across all the different avenues I engage in daily, working alongside providers, scientists and artists.”

Roushdy chose two paths and says she found surprises in every class.

“My studio art concentration brought another dimension to my experience. Working with different mediums taught me to be creative and open to seeing things from multiple perspectives,” she says. “I felt that same sense of transformation in my clinical and research experiences, where I learned to approach patient stories and data with flexibility and thoughtfulness.”

While each of her twin paths will be a lifelong pursuit, Roushdy selected medicine for her career. Working as an intern in the emergency center at Banner Desert Medical Center, she says, “I shadowed EMTs, PAs, physicians and nurses as patients flooded into the trauma rooms. I witnessed both adult and pediatric traumas and learned so much about medicine and the provider-patient relationship in that fast-paced environment.”

“My ‘aha’ moment came through every patient interaction I had,” she says. “Each one gave me a new perspective and deepened my sense of purpose. Even in brief moments, I began to see myself as a future provider, caregiver and healer — someone who could be a listening ear, a warm hand and a supportive presence in someone’s life.”

Still, her art was never in the background.

“In the second half of my internship, I decorated a bulletin board in the pediatric emergency department with a different theme each month,” Roushdy says. “I made each board colorful and engaging; I spent hours preparing and installing them. The patients and their families and the providers in the unit gave me so much positive feedback about how much they loved the bulletin boards and how they brought joy during a difficult time.”

Roushdy has chosen medical research as her long-term path. One of her two undergraduate theses, investigating nanoparticle delivery in mice through the FOXF1 gene, won her the opportunity to present at the Harvard University World Pre-Health Conference in March.

After graduation, she plans to study for the MCAT, gain more clinical experience as a patient care technician in a hospital setting and continue her biomedical research while preparing to apply to medical school.

“I aspire to apply to an MD-PhD program and become a physician-scientist in pediatrics. I also hope to apply to Harvard Medical School and continue research at Harvard and its affiliated hospitals or medical centers. My dream,” she says, “is to work at Boston Children’s in their hematology/oncology department.”

She has worked hard to begin that dream. She had eight jobs she held at various times while pursuing her degree, including tutor, teaching assistant, student success coach and restaurant hostess. But she counts all of them as part of the experience that is shaping her life.

“Coming into college, my view of the world was more limited,” Roushdy says, “but ASU introduced me to so much life, color, knowledge and excitement that it pushed me to seek more and engage more. It changed my perspective because I now know there is always something new to learn, and that every person has the ability to teach me something valuable.

“Every story is meaningful and can open the door to new ideas and opportunities.”

This story originally appeared on ASU News.