PD Soros Fellowships for New Americans

Akbar is the Executive Director for the Transition for Pennsylvania Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro. Before the November election, Akbar was the Policy Director for Josh Shapiro’s Gubernatorial campaign.

Akbar was born in Bangladesh and lived in Saudi Arabia before immigrating to the US through the Diversity Visa Lottery. As a first generation college graduate, Akbar credits his accomplishments to the sacrifices of his parents and the encouragement of his community.

A Truman Scholar and an Aspen Civil Society Fellow, Akbar has interned for the White House, the US Department of Homeland Security, and served as a Truman-Albright Fellow at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Akbar’s work has been featured on CNN, NPR, Huffington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS News, and many other media outlets.

Prior to joining the campaign, Akbar was a white collar government investigations attorney at a national law firm and served as a law clerk to Judge Harvey Bartle, III of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In his pro bono practice, Akbar represents immigrants seeking asylum in the US and low-income tenants in eviction proceedings.

Akbar earned a Bachelor of Arts from Franklin and Marshall College and a Juris Doctor from University of Pennsylvania Law School. He hopes to combine his legal, nonprofit, and personal experiences into a role as an effective advocate for forgotten communities.

Education

JD Public Policy, Immigration Law | University of Pennsylvania 2018
BA Government | Franklin and Marshall College 2013

Awards

Toll Public Interest Scholar

Work History

Pennsylvania Governor-Elect, Executive Director of Transition | November 2022 - PRESENT
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s Gubernatorial Campaign, Policy Director

11.17.22

Akbar Hossain Named Executive Director of Pennsylvania Governor-Elect Transition

2016 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow Akbar Hossain has been named Executive Director of the Transition for Governor Elect Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania.

06.11.18

Q&A: Akbar Hossain Looks Back At The Fellowship

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans provides two years of funding for outstanding graduate students who are immigrants and children of immigrants. After two years the Fellows join a lifelong community of past Fellows. Akbar Hossain...

06.02.18

Akbar Hossain's "Higher Ed’s Inclusion Problem"

2016 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow Akbar Hossain's piece for Grid.

09.29.17

Undergrad And Grad Students Join Forces To Call For Pro Bono Legal Representation For DACA Recipients

12.08.16

Akbar Hossain has Leading Op-Ed in Philadelphia Inquirer: A Muslim Immigrant Is Standing His Ground

09.12.16

2016-2017 Edition: The New American

The New American features stories about Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows making an impact across sectors and across the country. Read about immigrants and children of immigrants and how they are giving back to the United States.

09.08.16

PD Soros Recommendations: A Guide for Applicants

Looking for more information about recommendations? Learn from our 2016 Fellows and the Paul & Daisy Soros staff.

06.16.16

Happy Father's Day: Honoring Immigrant Dads

Whether it was their love of learning that helped shaped our own, their endless work that allowed us to pursue our dreams, or the values that they passed down—immigrant dads are a special kind of dad who deserve their own special recognition. Happy...

04.12.16

Announcing the Paul & Daisy Soros Class of 2016

We're delighted to announce The Paul & Daisy Soros Class of 2016. The 30 new Fellows are all immigrants or the children of immigrants. They will each receive up to $90,000 in funding for the graduate program of their choice. In addition, each new...

04.11.16

By the Numbers: Infographics Exploring the 2016 Fellow Class

Dream Mentors. Immigration Status. Religion. Favorite Cities, Sports and Apps. Find out what the 2016 Fellows had to say!

P.D. Soros Fellowship for New Americans

Akbar Hossain, 2016

JD Public Policy, Immigration Law | University of Pennsylvania 2018

BA Government | Franklin and Marshall College 2013

Toll Public Interest Scholar

Pennsylvania Governor-Elect, Executive Director of Transition | November 2022 - PRESENT

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s Gubernatorial Campaign, Policy Director