Zade Faraj

Born in Houston, Texas but moving only months later, I spent the first ten years of my life in Fulham; a borough of southwest London. In the spring of ’92, we returned to the States where we eventually settled in Alief, Texas.

It was around this time that I was gifted my first game console, a Super Nintendo. My passion for drawing took on a different dimension with the creative and imaginative worlds of video games. Though my appreciation truly hit a high with the release of Jurassic Park and their groundbreaking special effects. I dabbled in 2D ‘photoshopping’ of images with a scanner I requested for Christmas, and tested the waters of 3D graphic design and inverse kinematics in 3D Studio Max. I then developed a slight but healthy obsession with the now defunct Silicon Graphics Inc, where I would telephone in to their headquarters and request they fax me data-sheets of their Cray supercomputers, which I would then neatly file and grow giddy over. My voice hadn’t yet broken in at the time, so I was courteously referred to as ‘ma’am’ in all my dealings. I purchased my first programming book on Visual Basic at age 13; also around the time I discovered my first grey hair.

My fathers meticulous and creative engineering skills, which I graciously inherited, along with my love for electronics and all things computers, eventually lead me towards a degree in Computer Engineering Technology. After several uninspired years in college, along with many deep personal and familial challenges, I decided on a career in Dentistry. I loved the idea of working with my hands again, working with people on a very personal level, and the thought I may be able to contribute something unique. I felt as though my father, who’s obsession with teeth and oral health in general, would also find it fascinating.

Although, not before having tried my hand as a used car salesman, a technician at LensCrafters, a bespoke automotive body shop fabricator, a manager of a small business, and an independent IT consultant/contractor. In the years before Dental school, I developed and marketed several custom VB software packages and deployed multiple java/php based websites with scaleable SQL databases for inventory management. I had also been tasked with bringing online a small London firm to provide start-to-finish office networking and servers, video communication, VOIP telephony and IP PBX installation and configuration of both hardware and software. I enjoyed all these things, but I truly found most rewarding my time teaching a workshop in organic chemistry at the University of Houston. With my decision to pursue dentistry, my grades skyrocketed and my shy nature quickly faded.

At the University of Texas Health Science Center dental school in San Antonio, I found my passion.

I'm a lover of travel, an avid gadget/electronics/automotive enthusiast, and a staunch supporter of Manchester United.