ÇàÂ¥´«Ã½

Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 2:30 PM CT
Where: Library, Main Bldg, ÇàÂ¥´«Ã½

With hearts full of gratitude, joy, and pride in our graduates, we celebrated a powerful milestone at ÇàÂ¥´«Ã½ on May 9, 2025. This was our first graduation ceremony since the onset of the pandemic. As we celebrate the commitment and academic achievement of the graduates, we renew our dedication to the pursuit of knowledge for the love of God and the service of humanity.

A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Teepu Siddique, our esteemed honorary doctorate recipient, for his lifelong contributions to science and his love for the broader sphere of learning, and we thank our esteemed keynote speaker, Alia J. Bilal, for her inspiring words and unwavering commitment to community and justice.

Congratulations to our graduates! May your journeys ahead be filled with purpose, impact, and Divine blessing.

Pakistani American neurologist best known for his discoveries concerning the genetic and molecular abnormalities underlying the neurodegenerative disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Siddique’s distinction extends beyond the laboratory. He is a true “man of letters,” an intellectual whose passion for knowledge encompasses vast landscapes of human thought.

This honorary degree acknowledges not only his long and impactful career as a scientist but also his lifelong embrace of learning in its widest sense, embodying the very essence of a liberal arts education that AIC champions. Dr. Siddique stands as an inspiring figure, demonstrating the harmonious coexistence of rigorous scientific inquiry and a deep appreciation for the humanities, a confluence that enriches both the individual and the world.

Alia J. Bilal serves as Chief Executive Director at the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), a nonprofit community organization based in Chicago that fosters health, wellness, and healing in the inner-city by organizing for social change, cultivating the arts, and operating a holistic health center. Alia co-leads and oversees the administration, strategic development, communications, and program implementation of the organization.

In her 15 years at IMAN, Alia has helped the organization grow from a small nonprofit with an operational budget under $1 million to an organization with over 100 full-time staff members, a federally qualified health center, multiple campuses in Chicago and Atlanta, and an operational budget of over $20 million.