Ahmed Abdelmageed

By Amber Bouthot | Photo by Zack Kittak a

Ahmed Abdelmageed is the assistant dean of student, alumni and communit y engagement and associate professor of pharmac y prac tice at Manchester Universit y He works tirelessly to share what it means to be a Muslim, an Arab, and an immigrant in today ’s culture giving voice to those who are often unheard or misunderstood.

Tell us about your background and how you ended up in For t Wayne. Originally from Qatar, I moved to Canada in 1996 I came to the United States in 2000, and I moved to For t Wayne seven years ago to help establish Manchester ’s pharmac y program

I am the youngest of five, and I am married with three rambunc tious k ids. My wife, Heather, is a NICU nurse and my daughter (10) and two boys (7 and 5) are the ones you’d see in public climbing stuff or in a fierce flossing battle with other k ids (the dance, not their teeth)

You’ve received many awards. Which means the most and why?

The Indiana Leadership Association’s Distinguished Community Leader Award, which is given annually to a graduate of an Indiana leadership program who has made significant contributions to their community

I t ’s not the award that means the most but the fac t that leaders in our community took time to nominate me that means a great deal to me

You are an ac tive voice in our community on a variety of subjec ts. Can you explain your motivation for being so outspoken and what you hope to achieve?

I am a Muslim, Palestinian, immigrant The rhetoric around me, and others like me, has not been the most favorable, especially in recent years I am blessed with an ability to ar ticulate the damage caused by dehumanizing the person behind the label and my hope is to get us to celebrate our humanity.

Do you ser ve on any boards or volunteer for any local nonprofit organizations?

I am on the board of direc tors of the United Way of Allen County and chair its advocac y committee I also ser ve on the board of the Indiana Center for M iddle East Peace, and I work with them to raise awareness about many issues, but in par ticular the issue of my countr y of Palestine and the injustices of the Israeli occupation

Which women in your life helped shaped you into the man you are today?

Many, star ting with my mother and two sisters They are strong, independent and ver y intelligent women. Also, my wife who returned to the classroom a couple of weeks after our youngest was born to continue her pursuit of her nursing degree. Her dedication, passion, intelligence, and yes, stubbornness (she’d be mad if I didn’t mention that) continue to challenge me to grow and become a better person

Women are…

Needed in more positions of power and influence across the spec trum

How can we learn more about you?

By buying me coffee or visiting my blog nomad78 weebly com a