Chemical engineering major Lina Ahmed '22 is President of the MIT chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE). She pioneered the organization of the chapter’s trip to the NOBCChE National Conference, organized professional-development events for chapter members, and facilitated a summer discussion series to educate all members of the MIT's Chemical Engineering Department about racism, diversity within the department, and unconscious bias. Ahmed is also an active member of other organizations at MIT, including the Black Student's Union (BSU), Black Women's Alliance (BWA), and the African Students Association (ASA). She has held internships at Merck, Texas A&M University's TEES Gas & Fuels Research Center, Wilmar International, and served as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Grossman Laboratory at MIT.

“I wanted to make NOBCChE a more culturally affirming mentorship and support group for our members. Being black is one thing, and being an engineer is another, but with the intersectionality of the two, being a Black Chemical Engineer is a whole unique experience on its own.”

--Lina Ahmed, February 2022