UTSA Meet a Roadrunner: Humayun Zafar is a rock star in two arenas
UTSA alumnus Humayun Zafar
UTSA alumnus Humayun Zafar
Share this Story(Dec. 18, 2013) -- Meet Humayun Zafar, Ph.D., '10. Simply put, this guy is a rock star.
A graduate of the Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security in the UTSA College of Business, Zafar is now a tenure-track professor in information security at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
At the age of 33, he is not only an up-and-coming researcher in his field, he is the top-ranked marathon runner for the entire state of Georgia. In fact, this November he placed third out of 380 runners in his age division at the Atlanta Half Marathon.
He's found a creative way to prove that academics and running can go hand-in-hand.
"To get extra credit in my classes, I challenge my students to beat me in a half marathon," he says. "It takes a student a few months of training to complete a half marathon, let alone beat me. This is where discipline and the right attitude come into play. By the time a student runs the race, the effort made will assist him or her in many other areas. After all, discipline and following through on a plan are all very useful traits."
So far, no student has ever beaten him.
Zafar credits his time at UTSA for helping him get to where he is today and reflects upon his experience with fond memories. In fact, he remains closely connected with many of his former professors including Yoris Au, professor and chair of the UTSA Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security.
"Dr. Zafar is one of the more successful graduates of our Ph.D. in Information Technology program," says Au. "He is intelligent, hardworking and has shown significant accomplishments in his young career."
As a relatively recent graduate who has already achieved success, Zafar shares this advice with the UTSA students graduating this month:
"In order to succeed, you need to truly believe in what you are doing and be willing to deal with the ups and the downs."
------------------------------
Do you know someone at UTSA who is achieving great things? Email us at social@utsa.edu and your submission will be considered for the next installment of Meet a Roadrunner.
Events
The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.
Various LocationsDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main CampusFiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event is to achnowlege the graduating seniors and induct the new cohart of scholars to our program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140,) Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome
