Ahmed Ismail
Ahmed is a self-taught software engineer with a diverse set of experiences that include lobbying for international education initiatives, conducting research for the Dept. of Energy, and working on the board of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). While working on NSBE's board, he helped develop the 2025 strategic plan, which is now being used to deploy a couple million dollars' worth of capital to increase the number of black engineers graduating on an annual basis.

Experience
Lecturer & Program Coordinator
University of Virginia
2025 - Present
Teach courses as well as update curriculum, instructional design, and syllabi for Cloud certificate program. Also, helping build out a new certificate program for Artificial Intelligence.
International Vice Chair
National Society of Black Engineers
2024 - Present
Serve as Vice Chair for NSBE’s International Committee, where I helped with the organization's international expansion efforts.
Board Member
The Neighborhood Centers
2023 - Present
The Neighborhood Centers is a community-focused organization dedicated to empowering/supporting families within low-income communities.
Tech Prep Rising Innovator
Google's Tech Equity Collective
2025 - 2025
Tech Equity Collective (TEC) is a Google Initiative that is designed to equip technically proficient professionals from overlooked communities with the skills needed to accelerate a career in tech.
Software Engineer
Capital One
2022 - 2024
Built full-stack applications within the commercial banking and associate experience/engineering divisions.
Cloud Computing Career Coach
University of Virginia
2024 - 2025
Guided students regarding careers in cloud computing and help grow enrollment of underserved communities.
National Strategic Planning Task Force
National Society of Black Engineers
2020 - 2021
Helped develop strategic plan with the goal of increasing the number of black engineering graduates across United States from 5,654 to 10,000 annually by 2025.
Gilman Ambassador
Institute of International Education
2019 - 2020
Lobbied for international education initiatives through congressional visits with senators and represetatives in DC. As a result, was able to influence the passing of a bill to increase funding for international programs.
Education
MS, Cloud Computing Systems
University of Maryland
2024
BS, Liberal Studies
Iowa State University
2021
Study Abroad
University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
2018
Certifications
Awards & Honors
Socrates Program
The Aspen Institute
2025
Invited to particpate in Socrates Program and provided scholarship to attend the program. The Aspen Institute Socrates Program provides a forum for emerging leaders from various fields to convene and explore contemporary issues through expert-moderated dialogue. The program’s seminars are designed as values-based Socratic explorations to facilitate the exchange of ideas.
President's Scholarship
University of Maryland
2024
Awarded scholarship for outstanding academic achievement.
Gilman Scholar
U.S. Department of State
2018
Selected as one of approximately 1,000 American undergraduate students from 386 colleges and universities to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State. The Gilman Program supports students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity.