Curiosity drives Hullabaloo editor-in-chief’s dream of becoming a doctor

It might be surprising that the editor-in-chief of the Hullabaloo, Tulane University's student newspaper, plans to become a doctor. But to Ian Faul, who is that editor-in-chief, it just makes sense.

"I think the unifying theme in my education is a curiosity about the minds of other people," said Faul, who is graduating in May with a dual degree in psychology and philosophy and a minor in French.

"I knew coming into college that I really loved language, I loved reading and writing, and I also had a nascent interest in the mind and brain," he said. He decided dual majors in the School of Science and Engineering and the School of Liberal Arts would provide him with a well-rounded education.

After completing an independent study on the philosophy of psychiatry under Dan Burnston, associate professor of philosophy and director of cognitive studies in the School of Liberal Arts, Faul decided he wanted to put his interests to work helping people. He started taking pre-med courses and joined the Social Memory Lab with Ben Deen, assistant professor of psychology in the School of Science and Engineering.

"My dream job one day is to be a physician, but also be a communicator, to be able to tackle some of the most sensitive and complex topics in people's lives and in society at large, in a way that is understandable, accessible and human," he said.

Faul's time at the Hullabaloo solidified his desire to continue writing beyond college.

"The Hullabaloo has always sort of served as a vehicle for my curiosity," said Faul. He started writing for Arcade, the arts and culture section of the paper, his first year at Tulane. It was a way for Faul, who graduated from New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and Benjamin Franklin High School, to stay involved in the arts. By his sophomore year, he was the Arcade section editor, and he was elected editor-in-chief of the paper going into his junior year.

As editor-in-chief, he introduced the Data section, covering science, technology, research and health. He also revamped how the team trains writers.

"I'm extremely proud of the team in the last two years. I think it has been a time of a lot of growth, and that is entirely the result of an incredibly talented and motivated team of students that I'm just so happy to work with every day and be in almost constant communication with," he said.

Faul has also kept busy outside of Tulane, volunteering with the Jewish Community Center in their Alzheimer's Care and Enrichment program and in the emergency department of University Medical Center, helping with patient intake and triage. Those experiences have not only confirmed his desire to pursue a career in medicine but have also been rewarding in their own right, he said.

"Even though my job is pretty small in the grand scheme of things, I enjoy being able to provide some amount of comfort to people who are often coming into the ER in distress," he said. "I've been really honored and grateful for that experience."