Compassion in Action

In a big world with big needs, don’t look for Aiesha Ayaana Hamid to slow her relentless pace. “I don’t really believe in balance,” she says. “You have to focus on what’s most important in the moment. It’s OK to feel overwhelmed sometimes. That’s how you know you’re pushing yourself.”

A bioengineering major (and chemistry minor), Hamid is also a researcher, campus leader, medical volunteer and, increasingly, a global health advocate. A native of Dhaka, Bangladesh, her impact stretches from New York to refugee camps in Greece to underserved communities back home, where inequality and limited healthcare access are daily facts of life. 

In December, she led a healthcare initiative in Bangladesh focused on women and children living in slum communities. Partnering with a local nongovernmental organization (NGO) and the Being One Foundation, she helped distribute medical supplies that included gastrointestinal treatments, deworming medicine, and menstrual hygiene products.

As project lead, she recruited volunteers, coordinated with local officials, and acted as a liaison between organizations across continents.

“Volunteering was always a way for me to meet people,” Hamid says. “But also, to understand the world through them. I want to know people’s stories. That’s what drives me.”

In summer 2024, she took part in a medical outreach program in Athens, Greece, working with refugees from across Africa and the Middle East. In New York, she volunteers at a pediatric clinic in Queens, translating for patients and guardians. Hamid’s global volunteerism takes on an athletic bent in June, when she will be a New York/New Jersey regional host city ambassador for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a portion of which is being played in New York. Ambassadors “offer a warm welcome, provide assistance, and make sure that fans feel supported every step of the way,” she says.

Hamid’s community involvement began in middle and high school, when she took part in science fairs, sports events, and volunteer work with NGOs to distribute food and medical supplies to vulnerable populations.

Her academic path is ambitious. She plans to go to medical school and continue her work on behalf of the underserved. That will involve bridging the gap between technology and patient care, she says. Outside the classroom, Hamid developed a concept for a wearable nasal device that would serve as a humidity microsensor to help avert nosebleeds. The idea resulted from Hamid’s own struggles when she relocated from her humid country to much drier New York. The device would notify a user to lubricate their nasal passages. 

The project earned her third place in the College of Engineering and Computing Science’s Entrepreneurial Mindset Student Design Competition, and she presented her creation at the institution’s Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE).

Beyond academics and global initiatives, Hamid is deeply embedded in campus life. She’s vice president of the Biomedical Engineering Society and president of the Bengali Student Association, for which she has introduced initiatives that blend cultural celebration with community support.

Her cultural programming also emphasizes inclusivity and collaboration. Events often feature traditional Bengali food and partnerships with other student organizations, fostering cross-cultural exchange.

“Hospitality is a big part of my culture,” says Hamid, who enrolled at New York Tech for its diverse setting and for the flexibility it offers in being able to take classes at both New York campuses. “We want people to experience that.”

Her leadership has not gone unnoticed. She recently received a Student Engagement Award, recognizing her contributions across service, academics, and campus life.

New York Institute of Technology’s Office of Student Engagement and Development recognizes students who demonstrate leadership, serve the university, and enhance fellow students’ experiences.

After earning a medical degree, Hamid plans to continue her work in underserved communities around the world. Whether through clinical care, public health initiatives, or medical innovation, she is driven by compassion.

The path forward isn’t about choosing between engineering and medicine or between local and global work, she says. It’s about integrating all of it. It’s a big task, but Hamid is ready.

“Someone has to do it,” she says. “So why not me?”

By Andrew Faught