Honors College Student Engages in Research

Husna Najand, a political science major and member of the Honors College, was born and raised in New York, and moved to Las Vegas as a teenager after her father passed away. Wanting to stay close to home to help her mother care for her siblings, Najand chose UNLV for the honors program and a scholarship she received.

Najand will graduate in 2010 and is grateful for the opportunities she’s had at UNLV to become a well-rounded student. She says that because of the Hughes Scholarship for Honors College students, she was able to take her time with school and explore several areas of interest – like English, economics, and others – before selecting a major that she is passionate about.

“This is why I love UNLV,” says Najand. “It’s really what you make of it.” Najand says that having the opportunity to join organizations, study different areas, and complete research as an undergraduate have given her a quality education.
As a member of the Honors College, Najand had the opportunity to complete an honors thesis, which allowed her to research a specific topic and present her findings to the faculty.

“It was a tremendous learning experience,” says Najand. “It was kind of scary to present to the faculty and deans, but I’m so fortunate to have the experience.”
Najand’s research was a study in culture. She researched European Muslim Youth and the trends in radicalization that are more prevalent in Europe than in the U.S. She says she was able to juxtapose her own experience as an Afghan-American in the U.S. with someone like her born in Europe.

“It’s a very timely topic and something that’s not researched that well,” says Mehran Tamadonfar, the chair of the political science department with whom Najand worked during her research. “She’s done a wonderful job working the theoretical framework of why people become radicalized. It is a very wonderful piece of work.”

Najand is finding that often the reasons for radicalization are not tied to religion, but rather aggression and a need for an outlet to express anger at policies that affect income, immigration, or other issues. Her research has not only looked at these important issues, but it has also prepared her for her pursuit of a graduate degree and future research activities.