A healthcare executive in the making
Bilal Asghar was very introverted when he first enrolled at Indiana University Northwest, but you wouldn’t know it today. As he gets ready to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in health services management, he’s blossomed into a leader with big dreams of making the lives of others better.
“As a healthcare executive, I have the unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of countless individuals,” he said. “I get to be part of a team that works tirelessly to ensure patients receive the best possible care, while managing resources and finances.”
Asghar didn’t know the depths of his interest in helping others until he presented at the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action. The “crown jewel” of nonprofit research conferences helped him connect with well-known researchers in the field.
“This conference sparked my interest in one day pursuing a Ph.D.,” he said. “In the future, I want to open a nonprofit healthcare facility in the community that has helped me grow, utilizing the principles I’ve learned through my research and by attending this conference.”
Over the past two to three years, Asghar has been actively serving as a research assistant for a professor on numerous research studies, including nonprofit sustainability, social justice, new urbanism and general business viability stretching across five research sites throughout the country.
“This experience has helped me cultivate a passion for academic research,” he said. “Our work over the past few years finally paid off as we were able to publish our research studies. Being able to serve as a co-author on three research publications, one being an award-winning study, has been an extremely rewarding experience that I have truly cherished during my time at IUN.”
In addition to being active academically, Asghar is active socially. He’s been a big player in leading the IU Northwest biology club. He said the goal of the club is to give students the opportunity to explore and expand on their passion for the subject. He’s also the president of the Muslim Student Association and a member of numerous other clubs on campus.
If that wasn’t enough, Asghar has also been involved with the Center for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE). He worked on projects centered on civic engagement and created video documentaries to be distributed to schools across Indiana.
With so much experience already under his belt, it’s no surprise that Asghar has big dreams for his future. He plans to continue his education at Columbia University in New York.
“New York has one of the biggest healthcare markets in the world, so I hope to create a more equitable and accessible healthcare system at one of the world’s top-ranked health systems,” Asghar said. “Working as a healthcare executive is an opportunity to serve your community, and I hope to one day reach the C-suite executive level to make a tangible difference in the lives of millions.”
There are so many places on campus that Asghar has already left his mark — the biology department, the Muslim Student Association, research studies and more. It’s no stretch of the imagination to picture Asghar making a lasting, positive impact at Columbia and wherever he goes after.
