December 1, 2023 // 3:15 PM CST
Dr. Sogol Salary
Senior VDC Specialist at JE Dunn Construction
Fluorescent yellow bands stretch across my computer screen, intricately weaving in with fuchsia boxes and tubular lines.
Sogol Salary presents me with a hypnotic image, a knotty maze vaguely reminiscent of the early 1980s movie “Tron,” complete with warped glowing green elements and aqua green ducts that travel along each other, crossing paths on separate planes without ever touching.
Sogol explains that images such as this are what she works on each day as a Virtual Design and Construction Senior Specialist for a construction firm in Dallas.
In 2021, Sogol completed her doctorate in Planning, Design, and Construction with a focus in Construction Science at the University of Oklahoma and shortly after she moved to Denver, at the time with her husband and mini–Golden Doodle. Her in-laws were still in Oklahoma and she and her husband would periodically return to the state to their families.
Born and raised in Iran, Sogol studied in her home country, where she earned her license to practice architecture. At age 28, however, everything changed. Sogol began to feel a fervent desire to improve her life, study English, and relocate to the United States for a doctoral program.
Sogol traveled to Oklahoma, which soon became her first home in the U.S. In a foreign land, far from the familiarities of her home country, Sogol armed herself with a will to learn and to push her own boundaries. Although she was well-versed in the English language, simple meetings and conversations with peers and professors required preparation and significant effort. Navigating a different culture presented considerable challenges at times.
However, while remembering her time at OU, Sogol’s eyes brighten, and her smile widens. Even though she worked hard to support herself while studying for her doctorate, she holds fond memories of all the new friendships she developed at OU and of her work as a graduate research assistant. The diverse culture around the OU campus played a vital role in Sogol’s sense of belonging. Specifically with many activities and initiatives on campus, like the events at Farzaneh Hall, Sogol was connected to many international students and found a support network that eased a lot of her challenges as a newcomer.
“OU really provided that support… where you are not alone,” Sogol said. “There is a community here.”
Being a doctoral student was difficult at times, but Sogol said she believes her experience helped her build the foundation for her work ethic. She said more importantly that being a graduate student allowed her the opportunity to appreciate the value of giving and receiving support.
“Sometimes, support is all you need to keep going… both financial and moral support,” Sogol admitted. “The financial supports that I received at the time allowed me to focus on my research and be at a good place to plan for my professional and personal life.”
The beauty of the OU campus, ivy-covered walls, shaded food courtyards, and all the support and training facilities also helped Sogol to navigate the tough times.
Although Sogol’s initial admission to OU was to the Architecture doctoral program, she soon began to develop keen interest in the kind of construction knowledge which plays along the architecture. Sogol transferred to the doctoral program in the Division of Construction Science as a result.
Sogol’s doctoral research at OU was focused on using Building Information Modeling (BIM) for tracking budget in construction projects. At her current Virtual Design Construction (VDC) role, Sogol and her team are using BIM to virtually construct a building before the actual construction begins.
“This leads to considerable savings in both time and costs, as VDC simulates any constructive issues in advance and foresees problems which would put a project on hold,” Sogol said.
In her VDC role, Sogol is involved in planning and coordinating with a project owner, architect, engineer, and trade partners. Her job consists of putting all required models together and ensuring model contents are placed correctly without conflicting with the rest of the building systems.
The maze reminiscent of “Tron” that Sogol showed me was a simulation of the overhead space of a hospital reception, as seen from above. The intricate arrangement of air ducts, mechanical pipes, electrical conduit, fireproofing, plumbing, domestic water lines, medical gas, and more, adds up to thirty plus distinct types of pipes, ducts, and conduits. Seen from the top, Sogol describes the overhead space of a hospital area as a living and breathing organism, the single parts of which need to be carefully positioned, distanced, and shielded, according to specific building codes and requirements. It is a painstaking operation that seems to compete well with the brain surgeries the hospital will one day house once it is built.
This summer, Sogol donated to the OU Graduate College. When asked what led her to the decision, Sogol shared that she wanted to do whatever she could to help OU graduate students.
“They will be the foundation of our future,” she said.
Sogol confessed that toward the end of her dissertation, during a critical time of need, she found crucial emotional and material support from the Graduate College, and that is something she will never forget.
“I want graduate students to know that the Graduate College is there for them, and I want my donation to support the daily efforts of the college in reaching out to students,” she explained. “Graduate students need to know that they are not alone, and the OU Graduate College is setup to help them.”
The Graduate College thanks Sogol for her heart-felt support to OU graduate students and looks forward to meeting her again during one of her visits to her family and friends in Oklahoma. Maybe we will spot her sitting at a campus table, in her favorite ivy-covered, shaded courtyard.
Story written by Francesca Giani, Ph.D.
Executive Assistant to the Dean | Graduate College
Graduate Council Secretary
University of Oklahoma
