I am a Leader and a Learner

I was born and raised in Columbia and am a proud product of Columbia Public Schools, having attended Fairview Elementary, West Jr High, and Hickman High Schools,

I was a letterman in both soccer and swimming at Hickman

I truly believe I received a world-class education in Columbia and that my time here laid the groundwork for my future

My younger brother, acclaimed best-selling author and educator, A Darius Husain attended the same schools as I and feels the same way I do about our hometown public school education. He is currently the Director of a charter school for at-risk youth in the public school system of St Paul, Minnesota. We share a bond of feeling a great deal of gratitude and appreciation for the foundation we developed as students in CPS

My family has been in Columbia since 1958 when my grandfather, legendary Hall of Fame football coach Dan Devine, moved here to coach the MIZZOU Tigers. My mother, Jennifer, and all of her siblings attended Columbia Public Schools in some capacity during Grampa Dan's tenure at MIZZOU. Each of them has deeply fond memories of growing up and attending school here and reminisce on their time in the CPS system as fundamental to their upbringing. 

My father, renowned child psychiatrist, Syed Arshad Husain MD, immigrated to the United States and found his way to Columbia in 1968. He met my mother and they married in 1972 eager to lay down solid roots in CoMo. During his lengthy career, most of which was spent on the faculty at the University of Missouri, he worked closely with CPS and cared for myriad children with various mental health issues

My mother was a constant in the Columbia Public Schools and the community in general throughout my upbringing

She was a member of the PTA and a library and class volunteer at Fairview among many things

My Uncle "Tiger", Dan Devine Jr, not only graduated from Hickman High School, but taught and coached at Jeff Jr and Rock Bridge and Hickman High Schools for over 30 years. He remains active in CPS to this day. He epitomizes our family's ties and dedication to this community and the school system

I have numerous cousins who attended Columbia Public Schools, as well

After graduating Hickman in 1991, I attended the University of Notre Dame for my premedical studies

I briefly returned home to Columbia after graduation in 1995 and enrolled in graduate level classes at MIZZOU. The highlight of my time back in CoMo was the opportunity to be an assistant coach for the Hickman boys soccer team. It was an honor to share the sidelines with my former coaches and help lead the freshman to an undefeated season. I was also fortunate enough to coach the MIZZOU women's soccer team in their transition year between club and D1 varsity status. 

I ultimately left Columbia once again to attend Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit to pursue my lifelong passion of becoming a physician. I was President of my class and graduated in 2002

Following graduation from medical school, I was accepted as a National Institutes of Health research fellow at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis and ultimately completed my general surgery residency and surgical critical care fellowship there. I was honored to be asked to join the faculty at Wash U and remained there as a trauma, emergency, and general surgeon and critical care doctor in the Department of Surgery for nearly a decade

I hold two certifications from the American Board of Surgery and am a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons

While on faculty at Wash U, my academic focus was the training, development, and nurturing of the next generation of doctors and surgeons and other health care providers.

I lectured regularly at the medical and nursing schools

I routinely taught in the surgical skills lab

I served as Associate Program Director for both the general surgery residency and surgical critical care fellowship

I was a member of the Association for Surgical Education and served on national committees dedicated to the advancement of surgical education nationwide

Also while in St Louis, in addition to numerous community endeavors, I was very active in Clayton Public Schools, participating in PTA, Career Day, and volunteering for numerous events and activities

Serendipity and personal family reasons led me to return to my hometown in the summer of 2023. While I never anticipated a homecoming, I am thrilled to be back in CoMo raising my family here. I have a son who is a freshman at Rock Bridge and twin daughters who attend Mill Creek Elementary. I am ecstatic that my children are sharing my fortune of attending Columbia Public Schools and could not be happier with the path my and their lives have taken.

I currently am a medical director at a firm that consults on catastrophic trauma cases around the country and travel part-time to various small regional hospitals around Missouri and other states providing my experience and expertise in truama and critical care

I presently sit on the PTA Board at Mill Creek and was recently elected to the Board of the Columbia City PTA Council

Columbia Public Schools helped mold me into the person I am today and it would be a exceptional privilege to give back to my community and its school system as a member of the Board of Education

​