Growing up in Tehran, Iran, Roshanak Basty remembers the feeling of awe as she watched her uncle, a computer scientist and IT manager, perform what seemed like magic to fix her personal computer. It sparked a strong interest in high tech for her that has led to her own unique achievements in information technology.

Today, Basty, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and an Associate degree in Applied Science at Miami University Regionals in 2019, is a doctoral candidate at the University of Cincinnati where she also earned a master’s degree in Health Informatics in 2022. Her doctoral studies focus on the implications — both positive and negative — of generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Earlier this year, she co-authored a paper with two fellow doctoral candidates about the IT (information technology) talent shortage in the United States caused by the insufficient number of Information Technology degree programs and the growing number of job openings. The paper also covered differing perceptions of how information technology fits with other high tech disciplines.

As she completes these major milestones on her way to what she hopes will eventually be a faculty position at an academic institution, she said it all started with the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Miami Regionals, which she said provided her with more than just the foundation of her education. She credits Miami Regionals with helping her build essential interpersonal skills that have proven to be invaluable in her career.

She remembers the first day she visited Miami’s Hamilton Campus. She had recently arrived in Cincinnati after leaving Iran in 2016 with her parents to join her grandparents and other family members who already lived in the U.S. She had graduated from high school in Iran and had already completed two years of college there as well, studying English language and literature.

“I was so nervous,” Basty recalled. “I knew Miami was a top university. I didn’t know if it would be possible for me to go there. But I met the counselors at the Regionals Admission Office and they were so warm and welcoming. They told me Miami Regionals expected great things and that I will do great as well.”

“That day changed my entire future. It was a dream come true, and I am so grateful.”

Basty said she had been preparing to study IT at an American university much of her life, having known for many years that she would eventually live here. But she said the welcoming culture and friendly camaraderie of campus life still surprised her.

“The way I saw faculty treat each other, and the students, as if they were more than colleagues — they treated each other like they were family. They cared about each other, supported each other, and elevated each other. I was not expecting that.”

She added, “They offered help equally to all students. Their positivity was contagious, and it was so encouraging.”

Basty said it was as if she was watching the university’s code of “love and honor” at work every day as she attended classes and got to know her professors and fellow students.

“I learned more than just technical skills,” she said. “I learned soft skills like how to communicate with people regardless of their personal differences. I learned how to be empathetic with people, no matter what background they came from, and how to be a better team member and a leader to elevate my peers.”

These skills have been as important to her success as the technical information she learned as part of her Bachelor of Science degree, she said, and they were instrumental in helping her win two awards. She received the Miami University Regionals Computer and Information Technology Department Award in 2019 and the Jane A. Blank Scholarship from the Central and Southern Ohio HIMSS chapter in 2020 for her studies at the University of Cincinnati.

“Watching and working with the professors at Miami Regionals inspired me to become a compassionate and adept instructor in the future myself. It propelled me to continue my efforts, which led me to getting accepted into the University of Cincinnati's Information Technology doctoral program.”

Donna Evans, a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer and Information Technology, said Basty’s accomplishments show the possibilities for professional achievement open to Miami Regionals graduates.

“You can start here, and there’s really no limit to where you can go,” Evans said. “Roshanak is a great example of this. She’s accomplished so much in a short time with her Miami degree as her starting point.”

As she completes her studies and prepares for her next steps, Basty said she feels grateful to have been able to start her education journey at Miami Regionals because the encouragement and support she received here gave her the courage to reach for her dreams.

“I would not be the person and the scholar I am today without Miami.”