Matt Kianpour ’24 loves the flexibility offered to him by his major. He is currently discerning becoming a physician in the future and has chosen the science-computing major in the College of Science. He is also minoring in compassionate care in medicine, poverty studies, and European studies.
Kianpour appreciates that he can take computing classes, but also classes in other sciences, which still count toward earning his major and application to medical school. That flexibility has allowed him to craft his academic experience at Notre Dame.
“I can take my love for the humanities and abstract thinking, then tie in the logical, analytical, and qualitative thinking of computer science. I want to do both and have it all fit,” says Kianpour regarding his minors across the disciplines.
Kianpour has been able to explore his academic interests further through independent research opportunities. Last spring, he applied for and received a grant through the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, which allowed him to travel to Barcelona, Spain to conduct research.
His work looked at healthcare access, which is an “arts and letters perspective on things,” he says, and used GIS mapping to identify areas of Barcelona where he should conduct interviews, which is the “science-computing and pre-med side of things,” he says.
The research was a mixed-method study of public transportation and access to healthcare in Barcelona. Read about Kianpour’s research here.
In addition to traveling for research, Kianpour had the opportunity to go abroad for a semester. He studied in London this year and says that, thanks to Notre Dame’s presence in the city, he was able to explore from a comfortable base.
Students in London take classes with Notre Dame professors at the University’s London Global Gateway. They live in Notre Dame residence halls and have the support of the University infrastructure.
“Being able to touch down in London…and immediately being thrown into a very comfortable Notre Dame environment, really allowed me to hit the ground running,” says Kianpour.
While studying there, Kianpour also traveled to several other countries, from Morocco to Croatia, Germany, and Scotland, among others.
Now back on Notre Dame’s main campus, Kianpour is continuing his research in the healthcare realm. Through the Department of Anthropology, he is working with a project that looks at obstetric violence as it affects Latina women in South Bend.
Part of Kianpour’s interest in the project stems from his experience volunteering at the Sister Maura Brannick, CSC health center in South Bend. Read about his volunteer experience here.
These experiences and others have all helped to mold Kianpour’s cross-disciplinary educational journey.
“I just try to take advantage of as many opportunities as I can,” he says.
Watch the video above to learn more about Kianpour’s Notre Dame experience, including his favorite class and his thoughts on the Notre Dame community.
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