Ammar Farooqi came to Rutgers from Pakistan more than 50 years after his grandfather did the same.

CAMDEN — Many students attending Rutgers University are continuing
a proud legacy started by their parents or grandparents, who walked Rutgers’
campuses years before them.

One of the newest multi-generational Rutgers families belongs to
Ammar Farooqi, a freshman biology major at Rutgers–Camden who is following his
grandfather’s footsteps along a path cleared more than 50 years ago beginning
in Pakistan.

“I applied to no other schools,” says the affable Farooqi, a
Williamstown resident who beams with pride when talking about his grandfather
and his university. “Rutgers–Camden was my only choice. I feel a connection to
my grandfather now that I’m here. I feel like I’m continuing his legacy.”

Farooqi’s grandfather, Muhammad Adil Usmani, graduated from
Rutgers–New Brunswick in 1959 with a master’s degree in library science.

Usmani, who passed away in 2009, received his bachelor’s degree
from Allahabad University in India before earning a postgraduate diploma in
library science from the University of Karachi in Pakistan.

Seeking to further his education, Usmani was awarded a Fulbright
scholarship to pursue his master’s degree in the United States and elected to
attend Rutgers University in New Brunswick. He was awarded the scholarship
after a national competition held by the U.S. Education Foundation on Pakistan.

“My grandfather spoke very highly of Rutgers because it gave him a
tremendous opportunity,” says Farooqi, who has an electronic copy of his
grandfather’s Rutgers diploma saved to his laptop computer.

“There are many people in Pakistan who know all about Rutgers,” he
says. “We had a flag with the block R and people recognized it. It’s
internationally known. I was determined to go to Rutgers, too.”

After graduating from Rutgers–New Brunswick in 1959, Usmani gained
practical experience while working and researching in libraries in Indiana,
Illinois, Washington, D.C., Oxford, and London.

He became a librarian at the University of Karachi, formed many library
associations and organizations in Pakistan, and helped to establish libraries
in Saudi Arabia.

A book about Usmani, Muhammad
Adil Usmani: A Bio-bibliographical Study, published in Pakistan in 2004,
further invigorated Farooqi’s interest in his grandfather’s life.

“It’s pretty amazing to read about him,” Farooqi says. “I’ve even
found some blogs written about him after his death describing his
achievements.”

Farooqi says he did not spend a lot of time talking to Usmani
about his Rutgers experience, but became inspired to attend Rutgers–Camden
because of the impact the university had on his grandfather.

Farooqi’s family moved from Pakistan to Houston in 2008, but
quickly relocated to New Jersey so he could attend Rutgers–Camden.

“I asked my father if there was any way we could move to New
Jersey so I could attend Rutgers,” Farooqi says. “He was able to find a job in
Millville and I was able to come to Rutgers–Camden. It’s easy to see why my
grandfather felt such a connection to Rutgers and why he was so proud of it.”

Farooqi says he plans to attend medical school after his
undergraduate education at Rutgers–Camden, another tribute to his grandfather,
who was always driven to seek out more learning opportunities.

“I’m proud of him,” Farooqi says. “It makes me want to strive to
achieve as much as I can because of what he was able to accomplish. He was
given his opportunity to shine and I’d like to do the same.”