Meet Dr. Ahmed Agyeman, one of Iowa International Center’s newest board members. From his roots in West Africa to his influence within the state of Iowa, Dr. Agyeman has been a global advocate for community engagement and social justice.
As a teenager, Dr. Agyeman immigrated from Ghana to Iowa in 1993. Even at an early age, Dr. Agyeman recognized the injustices faced by immigrants and people of color across the globe. This insight led him to pursue a career in higher education and policy studies. After earning his Associate’s Degree at DMACC, Dr. Agyeman continued on to Iowa State University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and both his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies.
Currently, Dr. Agyeman serves as the Director of Community & Global Engagement at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny. Within this role, he works closely with underrepresented students, multicultural communities, and immigrants. In his own words, Dr. Agyeman described his job as “providing vision and direction for creating an inclusive community and culture at DMACC.”
Recently, Dr. Agyeman has taken his passion for social justice to a new level. In conjunction with the Ankeny Community Network, Dr. Agyeman helped organize a Black Lives Matter protest last summer. Dr. Agyeman felt that this was a perfect way to “bring the Ankeny community together to show unity and find meaningful and actionable solutions moving forward.”
When asked about why he decided to join IIC, Dr. Agyeman said that he was inspired by his mother, Dr. Jane Agyeman. In 2016, Dr. Jane was recognized as a Passport to Prosperity honoree for her social and cultural contributions to new Iowans. Following in his mother’s footsteps, Dr. Ahmed recognizes the invaluable contributions that immigrants have made to Iowan culture and community. Likewise, he is deeply passionate about serving typically underrepresented communities and “paying it forward.” Dr. Agyeman is actively involved with several human rights organizations, including Urban Dreams, Polk County Childhood Iowa, and the Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa.
When he’s not fostering cross-cultural dialogue, Dr. Agyeman enjoys traveling, attending athletic events, and spending time with family. Iowa International Center is honored to have Dr. Agyeman on our Board of Directors and we look forward to working together to build a global community.
