Dr. Qusay Salih Hussein Al-Mamari

Dr. Qusay Hussein was an education advocate, student and motivational speaker. In 2006, Dr. Hussein was a victim of a suicide bomb in Mosul, Iraq where he suffered multiple injuries and lost his sight. After 62 reconstructive surgeries, Dr. Hussein was able to overcome this traumatic experience and use it to advocate on behalf of marginalized communities and individuals with disability.

In 2010, Dr. Hussein went to Jordan to seek medical treatment and while he was recovering, he had an opportunity to serve as a patient-counselor for Doctors Without Borders (MSF). During his time with MSF, Dr. Hussein organized recreational activities for patients recovering from war related injuries.

In 2012, Dr. Hussein resettled to United States and integrated himself in American society by quickly learning English. After securing the second highest GED score in his region, Dr. Hussein started his pursuit for higher education by enrolling at Austin Community College.

In May 2018, Dr. Hussein earned an associate degree from Austin Community College, and was the student keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony where he also received the ACC presidential student achievement award. With his eye on a graduate degree, Dr. Hussein transferred to UT Austin to focus on Psychology and Social Work. In May 2021, Dr. Hussein graduated with a dual Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin. He went on to earn his Master of Science in Social Work from UT Austin in 2022, and his Ph.D. in Social Work from UT Austin in May 2025.

Dr. Hussein served on the Association Committee for Doctors Without Borders, the Advisory Committee for Refugee Services of Texas, and the UT Austin Student Advisory Committee for students with disabilities. Additionally, he served on the Board for the Austin Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind (2015-2019), and on the Board of the Texas Association of Blind Students (2016-2018). He served as co-chair of the Community Advisory Council for the Texas Center for Disability Studies (CAC). Dr. Hussein served as Vice-President at Large for the Alpha Gamma Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (2017-2018).

In his free time, Dr. Hussein mentored incoming students at Austin Community College and provided interpretation at a local refugee resettlement agency for newly arrived refugees.