Abdullahi Hussein
Scholar since:
2026-08-03
Scholarship received:
Next Generation Graduate Scholarship
Education:
University of Minnesota
Hometown:
Burnsville, MN
Abdullahi Hussein is a Somali Muslim Minnesotan and a second-year Master of Architecture student at the University of Minnesota. He is a curious and developing designer with a deep belief that architecture is most powerful when it functions as a form of care and uplifts communities, their identities, their dignity, and the long-term health of the spaces and ecosystems they share. He moves through this field with humility, a desire to keep learning, and excitement for the directions he has yet to explore.
His path began with a childhood love of automotive and aerospace design. That same love of form found new meaning through a childhood spent in libraries, mosques, and community centers, all of which were spaces that, for him, were lifelines. Today, he practices to align his work at the intersection of design and equity, with experiences spanning the 2024 Barbara G. Laurie Student Design Competition, work with Habitat for Humanity, and work with architecture firms contributing to transit-related projects.
He tries to live this through studio work centered on community, through leadership in NOMAS, and through the smaller moments of listening, checking in, and learning from the people and histories around him.
His path began with a childhood love of automotive and aerospace design. That same love of form found new meaning through a childhood spent in libraries, mosques, and community centers, all of which were spaces that, for him, were lifelines. Today, he practices to align his work at the intersection of design and equity, with experiences spanning the 2024 Barbara G. Laurie Student Design Competition, work with Habitat for Humanity, and work with architecture firms contributing to transit-related projects.
He tries to live this through studio work centered on community, through leadership in NOMAS, and through the smaller moments of listening, checking in, and learning from the people and histories around him.