Biography:
Dr. Ahmed Elnaggar, Academic Director at Academia School of Nursing dba Academia Medical Institute is dedicated to his students, faculty and learning. Born in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Ahmed lived in Egypt until he came to the United States in 2016. “When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor.”
Dr. Ahmed earned his Bachelor of Science in Anatomy & Physiology from Tanta University in Egypt, his Medical Degree from the School of Medicine, Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt and his Master of Public Health from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. His Medial Practice experience encompasses 6 years in positions such as Internal Medicine Clinical Observership (Ohio), Internal Medicine Residencies (Egypt), Pediatric Residency (Egypt), Egyptian Military General Doctor Service, Internal Medical Doctor Intern (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Radiology Intern (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), and Emergency Doctor Intern (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). In addition to his Medical Practice experience, Dr. Ahmed has 12 years of teaching experience—5 years in Cairo, Egypt and 7 years at Academia School of Nursing, Columbus, Ohio. He is proficient in English, Arabic and German.
In 2017, Dr. Ahmed was introduced to Ahmet Ali, Founder/Executive Director of Academia School of Nursing by his brother-in-law, who was an instructor at the school. “My brother-in-law decided to enroll full-time at The Ohio State University to earn his PhD in Anatomy—creating an opening at Academia School of Nursing. I am grateful for the introduction to Mr. Ali as I love teaching and interacting with our students. When they understand the coursework, I can see it in their eyes! That excites me and energizes me. My students ask probing questions, and I am dedicated to finding the answers. This keeps me growing in my knowledge, as well.”
Dr. Ahmed splits his time equally between teaching morning and evening courses, as well as overseeing and training the faculty on the Learning Management System. “It is extremely important that we utilize an efficient and integrated system to host our academic calendar, to set up exams, and to send Letters of Completion to the State Board of Nursing. Our students are the number one priority at Academia School of Nursing. I meet students where they are, and we build their knowledge from there. Together, we dissect the information in the books and curriculum until they understand it---so they remember it! If students only memorize information, then they will likely forget it once an exam is over. I have an open-door policy with all my students and fellow instructors. I believe in being honest, empathetic, responsive and respectful. Earning the trust of my students and colleagues is important to me and they do appreciate the way I communicate.”
Ultimately, the goal of Academia School of Nursing is for their graduates launch nursing careers so they can earn wages commensurate with providing for themselves and their families. Nursing graduates can enroll in the LPN to RN Program. In 2025, the BSN Program will launch, providing an opportunity for RNs to earn their Bachelor’s in Nursing from Academia School of Nursing, reinforcing the school’s vision to be the Premier Nursing School in Ohio, offering multiple programs throughout multiple campuses.
Dr. Ahmed Elnaggar is positioned to nurture medical students to achieve success. His experience and journey have been on both sides of the medical profession---direct patient care and instructing medical students. He has found his true calling to teach and to instruct. Dr. Ahmed is appreciative of his role, and he is focused on his responsibility to instill knowledge, aspirations, desires and dreams into the nursing professionals of the future.
Mark Sullivan, President of Academia School of Nursing, dba Academia Medical Institute, is a seasoned and experienced President in the field of higher education. He exemplifies the qualities and leadership style conducive to growing and sustaining Academia Medical Institute as the Premier Nursing Institution in Columbus, Ohio.
Born and raised in Michigan, Mark resided in Illinois before relocating to Ohio in 2012 with his family. Mark earned his Bachelor of Science in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Health Fitness from Central Michigan University and his Master’s in Business Administration from Liberty University in Virginia. His extensive career in Higher Education began in 1998 at DeVry Institute of Technology. Along his journey, he became the Director of Admissions at Corinthian Colleges before being appointed president in 2004, running three campuses through the end of 2011.
Upon relocating to Ohio in 2012, Mark became President and Chief Operating Officer of the American Institute of Alternative Medicine, Cyanna Education Services, and President of Fortis College. As of October 2024, Mark eagerly joined Academia Medical Institute as President. “I originally met Ahmet Ali, Founder/Executive Director of Academia Medical Institute, while I was at Cyanna Education Services, an Educational Consulting Firm. We specialize in software, curriculum, and regulatory compliance. The process from launching a school to Title 4 Approval and Accreditation takes about 5 years. I got to know Ahmet during this arduous process. We have similar philosophies, and I witnessed Ahmet’s persistence, passion, and dedication to his students, staff, and faculty. I admire and respect him for what he has accomplished!”
Throughout Mark’s career, his leadership style has remained consistent. “I am all about people and I care about students. My responsibility is to do what is right for our students and to provide them an affordable tuition, so they can become gainfully employed, and do so without incurring overwhelming debt. This is a feasible model, and it changes the trajectory of the students’ lives. The majority of our students are first-time students of higher education, and the impact of earning a quality education will carry throughout their families for generations. Remaining in this industry is where I belong and I know that when students and faculty are happy, everything else will follow.”
Introducing an RN toa BSN program is a focal point of growth in 2025, with a target launch date of July 1, 2025. “This is an aggressive goal, as the BSN Program will add a third level of regulation and compliance. These are my areas of strength, so we are confident that we can achieve this goal. As the Premier Nursing Institution, we must be positioned to fill the demand for trained Healthcare Professionals. Larger Healthcare Institutions are experiencing a shortage of nurses, and we have the plan in place to train nursing students to fill positions at all levels without students taking on an insurmountable amount of student loan debt.”
As an Advisory Board Member of both the Ohio-Michigan Association of Career Colleges and Schools and Tiger Electrical Academy since 2022, Mark maintains a pulse on the needs of students and needs within the marketplace. Over 20+ years of interacting with students, he is often asked— ‘How do I become successful?’ His simple and sound reply: “Show up every day, dress the part, and think about someone besides yourself.” Mark operates from a place of positivity, and he is grateful for opportunities to lead, train and develop. “When everyone on the staff and faculty is performing at their best, this leads to stability for everyone. I look forward to the onset of the workweek--TGIM (Thank Goodness It’s Monday) and have the opposite viewpoint at the end of the week--TBIF (TTooBad It’s Friday). Life can be tough, and life is short, so you might as well stay positive and love what you do!”
Ahmet Ali, Founder/Executive Director of Academia School of Nursing, LLC., is a dedicated husband and father of five children who is driven to make a difference in his community. As a U.S. Citizen since 1998, Ahmet grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya. Due to Ahmet’s love for reading books printed in English, he learned English before the age of 14. This was a tremendous asset as his family received a resettlement to the U.S. and Ahmet excelled in High School and at Franklin University. Ahmet earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Minored in Marketing, Healthcare Management and Computer Information Technology. “My dream was to own a business, so I knew that I would need to wear many hats if I wanted to launch a sustainable business. So, I thought about key functions that I would need to fulfill at the onset and focused my studies accordingly.”
Ahmet launched Sunrise Family Healthcare in 2009. The Home Healthcare Agency grew to 7 million in annual revenue, and he sold the business in 2019. While owning Sunrise Family Healthcare, he was constantly challenged with hiring enough qualified Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) for his agency. He created a solution by forming Academia School of Nursing LLC in 2013, dba Academia Medical Institute (AMI). The comprehensive 18,000 square foot Nursing School is located on West Broad Street. “Currently our campus offers 24 courses. 13 courses are dedicated to the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Program and 11 courses are focused on the Registered Nurse (RN) Program. There is a void of Nursing Schools located on the West side, so that is why I decided to place our campus here. We offer exceptional training, curriculum and accreditations, and do so in a manner that is affordable, accessible and expedited. We are progressive thinkers, and plan to launch a Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) Program in 2025. There is no reason that our students should go to another school and earn their BSN, when we can provide them with an affordable & accredited 8-month program at AMI.”
Ahmet Ali is a savvy Executive Director and Entrepreneur. His heart to serve, motivate and inspire others is a testament to his character. He sets an example for others who want to rise against humble beginnings through working hard and embracing education and learning. “The only things that cannot be taken away from you are your experiences and your knowledge.”
Coming Soon
Biography:
Elfrida Ruber, Financial Aid Administrator at Academia School of Nursing dba Academia Medical Institute is grounded in gratitude, compassion and positivity. Because of her job and encouraging demeanor with students, staff and faculty Academia Medical Institute is growing and flourishing. Born in the Dominican Republic, Elfrida came to the United States to attend College, to work, and to launch her career. “From the time I was a child, I loved people, I loved to help and instruct others, and I wanted to be an accountant. At age 14, I taught preschool and elementary school in the Dominican Republic. During High School, I focused my studies on secretarial school and accounting.”
At age 24, Elfrida enrolled at Hostos Community College and Lehman College in New York, where she earned her Associate in Applied Science. She traveled back and forth to the Dominican Republic while in college, as she worked for the Dominican Telephone Company between 1985 and 2000. In 2001, Elfrida visited Ohio to spend a week of vacation. While in Ohio, she was not looking for employment but was offered a position in the call center at American Express. She accepted, moved to Ohio and has resided in Ohio since.
After working at American Express for about 1 year, she transitioned into Office Management for the next 22 years. Elfrida worked at Hamilton Healthcare, Americare Healthcare and Sunrise Family Healthcare where she handled duties such as billing, invoicing, scheduling, compliance, patient communication and even assisted nurses with translation during Home Healthcare visits. “Since I am a people-person and love to help others, I enjoyed the opportunity to meet and connect with our patients face to face. At Sunrise Family Healthcare we served over 400 clients in Franklin and Delaware Counties. I enjoyed all aspects of Administration and Case Management.”
Ahmet Ali, Founder/Executive Director of Academia Medical Institute was the Owner of Sunrise Family Healthcare. Elfrida and Mr. Ali cultivated a strong working relationship during the 12 years that she worked at Sunrise. “I kept in contact with Mr. Ali and when I saw the growth potential of Academia Medical Institute, I approached him in 2022 about joining the organization. We had about 13 students at that time, and we now have over 300 students. Mr. Ali and I are driven and work well together as we continue to streamline our processes and procedures.”
Elfrida is focused on FASFA and Financial Aid and she meets face to face with students while walking them through all the documentation required for the Financial Aid and/or Promissory Note Agreements. “I want students to fully understand the agreements they are signing. Since I am fluent in English and Spanish, I am in clear communication with all of our students.” Elfrida is their dedicated Financial Aid liaison from orientation through graduation. “I ensure that student files are complete, accurate and up to date. If they have questions, I have the answers.”
Elfrida Ruber is a light that shines bright at Academia Medical Institute. She brings positivity to the faculty, staff and students along with a determination and desire to get things done. As Elfrida is known to say, “There is always a way!” As a key staff member of Academia Medical Institute, Elfrida is grateful for the supportive environment and culture. “We are like family, and we are dedicated and encouraging to each other and to each student. Graduation is a special day and a celebration. We are so proud of each of them.”
Bio. Coming Soon