Iskandar Askarov
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Class Of: 2012

Campus: Manhattan
Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering, B.S.

When Iskandar Askarov graduates in May 2012, he'll have a head start in making a career of his favorite hobby – building electrical circuits. The electrical and computer engineering major already works the night shift as a paid systems engineer for the financial services company FXDD in New York City.

"The main thing that helped me get this job is being enrolled at NYIT," says Askarov, who can build a robot in 48 hours and someday wants to design a "smart wheelchair" controlled by brainwaves. "I have the ability to think outside of the box because of my education."

As president of NYIT's club for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Askarov encourages students to network and test a career path. To this end, the IEEE club hosted the Student Professional Awareness Conference in November, a primer in career options for engineering students. Speakers included an AT&T Bell Labs engineer and Babak Beheshti, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering technology.

Askarov, who moved to New York from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has adjusted quickly to city life.

"The first university I visited was NYIT," he says. "I saw the Manhattan library and could see students enjoyed studying there. I knew that's where I wanted to be."