Dr. Ryan Ahmed is an Assistant Professor at McMaster University and Co-Lead Faculty Advisor for the Battery Workforce Challenge. He received his M.A.Sc., Ph.D., and MBA from McMaster University in 2011, 2014, and 2018 respectively. He has held several senior positions in Electric and Autonomous vehicles at General Motors, Samsung, and Stellantis in Canada and the U.S. Dr. Ahmed has taught over half a million learners from 160 countries on Udemy, Coursera, and YouTube. Dr. Ahmed is LinkedIn’s 2024 Top AI voice, Udemy Instructor Partner, Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Ontario, and Stanford Certified Program Manager. He is the principal author/co-author of over 40 journal and conference papers in artificial intelligence, battery systems, electric and hybrid powertrains, and autonomous systems. Dr. Ahmed is the co-recipient of two best papers awards at the IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics (2018) and the IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC 2012) in Detroit, MI, USA.
Full Profile
Dr. Ryan Ahmed grew up in Cairo, Egypt, with a strong passion for technology and education. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechatronics Engineering at Ain Shams University and was ranked at the top of his class. Driven by a love for understanding complex technical concepts, he excelled in breaking down these subjects into simpler, more digestible explanations for his classmates.
In 2009, Dr. Ahmed’s academic journey led him to McMaster University as an international student. There, he pursued a Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) degree focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and fault detection. He further expanded his expertise and earned a Ph.D. in electric vehicles and battery management systems. He then complemented his technical background with business skills through an MBA in Finance from the DeGroote School of Business and a program management certification from Stanford University in the U.S..
Dr. Ahmed then gained extensive industry experience in AI and electrified autonomous vehicles at several tech companies, such as General Motors, Samsung, and Stellantis, in Canada and the U.S. before joining McMaster as an Assistant Professor in 2023.
In 2018, Dr. Ahmed set out to connect with students from all over the globe. This goal brought him to Udemy, an online technology education company that virtually offers specialized courses to learners. Ahmed has taught over 45 online courses to approximately 370,000 students in more than 160 countries. He also taught over 60 guided projects on Coursera to over 105,000 students. Dr. Ahmed also created his own YouTube channel titled “Prof. Ryan Ahmed” later that year to expand his global reach. With the goal of making STEM education more accessible and affordable, he produces engaging videos that cover topics ranging from artificial intelligence and machine learning to deep learning and autonomous driving. In the six years since launching his channel, Dr. Ahmed has amassed more than 250,000 subscribers. His 200 videos have a combined count of nearly 2.5 million views. Additionally, Dr. Ahmed shares his knowledge on LinkedIn and has been selected as LinkedIn’s Top 2024 AI voice.
At McMaster, Dr. Ahmed leads a diverse group of Ph.D. and M.A.Sc. students in smart systems, artificial intelligence, energy storage devices, electric and hybrid powertrains, and autonomous systems. He serves as a faculty co-lead for McMaster’s Battery Workforce Challenge team, a three-year student competition that began in October 2023. In this role, he guides the team of undergraduate and graduate students through designing, building, testing, and integrating an advanced electric vehicle battery pack into a Stellantis vehicle. Dr. Ahmed is the principal author/co-author of over 40 journal and conference publications. He is the co-recipient of two best papers awards at the IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics (2018) and the IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC 2012) in Detroit, MI, USA. He is a Stanford Certified Project Manager (SCPM), a certified Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Ontario, and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He was the program Co-Chair at the 2017 IEEE Transportation and Electrification Conference (iTEC’17) in Chicago, IL, USA.
