Speaker Bios

Keynote address by Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans

Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans is ALIM’s first Scholar-in-Residence.  He converted to Islam while in high school. Upon conversion, Ustadh Ubaydullah began studying some of the foundational books of Islam under the private tutelage of local scholars. Since then he has studied at Chicagoland’s Institute of Islamic Education (IIE), in Tarim, Yemen, and Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, where he is the first African-American to graduate from its Shari’a program. Ustadh Ubaydullah also instructs with the Ta’leef Collective and the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN). As the ALIM Scholar-in-Residence, Ustadh Ubaydullah is a core instructor at the ALIM Summer Program. He teaches History of Islamic Law, Shama’il, and Aphorisims of Ibn Ata’illah along with other courses.
 

Changemakers

Saquib Lakhani, MD
 
Dr. Saquib Lakhani is clinical director of Yale Medicine’s Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program (PGDP), where he specializes in caring for newborns and infants with undiagnosed birth defects. As a pediatrician, Dr. Lakhani treats young patients in critical condition and those with chronic health problems.  In his role at the PGDP, Dr. Lakhani works with genetic researchers to understand and interpret the results of patients’ genetic sequencing tests.  Dr. Lakhani has studied and traveled extensively with traditional Islamic scholars.  In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family in outdoor pursuits - hiking, walking, camping, archery, fishing and playing a variety of sports, as well as reading and quiet time.
 

 
Mohsin Ansari
 
Mohsin Ansari, with a 25-year impressive tenure in hedge fund management across diverse asset classes, incorporates both fundamental analysis and quantitative risk strategies. Recognized as one of the few IBM Qiskit Advocates in the US, he is deeply involved with emerging tech like AI and Quantum Computing. Currently a portfolio strategist at TLP Investments and an MIT alumnus, Mohsin’s earlier roles include founding 3 Twelve Capital and leading European strategies at Stark Investments. For over 25 years, he’s been dedicated to philanthropy, aiding clinics in Chicago, supporting Muslim American charities, and enhancing college experiences for minorities, with roles such as a Director at Yale University’s Dwight Hall. Mohsin also actively mentors in quantum computation and plays various roles in his local boy scout troop.
 
 
 
Rusha Latif
 
Rusha Latif is a researcher and writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A first generation Egyptian American, she traveled to Cairo in 2011 to conduct ethnographic research on the uprising. Her interests include social movements and revolutions; the study of class, gender, and race/ethnicity; Islamic Studies; and Middle Eastern Studies.  She is the author of “Tahrir’s Youth: Leaders of a Leaderless Revolution.”