5 AANAPISI Degree Holding Representatives

By Anthony Fowlkes 

With the 2018 midterm elections quickly approaching it is important to remember that college students play a critical role in every election. By highlighting a few of the current Congresspeople who graduated from AANAPISIs, we want to remind all able to register to vote and become informed.

1. Rep. Ruben J. Kihuen (Represents Nevada’s 4th District) – University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“Ruben J. Kihuen was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. His father moved to the United States and worked as a field laborer in search of greater opportunities for his family. Nearly two years later, Ruben’s mother moved the rest of the family from Mexico reuniting them with their father and eventually settling in Las Vegas.

Ruben’s parents pushed their children to reach for the American Dream, teaching them the value of hard work and the importance of a good education. Ruben worked his way through college, first attending the College of Southern Nevada and later the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was the first in his family to go to college and ultimately obtained a bachelor’s degree in education.”

 

2. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (Represents Missouri’s 1st District) – University of Maryland, College Park

“Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay was first elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in 2000, succeeding his father, the Honorable Bill Clay, who served for 32 years and was a founding Member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Recently, Congressman Clay expanded his congressional portfolio to include a seat on the House Natural Resources Committee where he is working to combat climate change, protect wilderness areas, safeguard clean water and clean air and make sure that future generations enjoy America’s remarkable natural assets.”

3. Rep. Adriano de Jesus Espaillat Rodriguez (Represents New York’s 13th District)- Queens College

“Congressman Espaillat was born in the Dominican Republic in 1954 and came to the United States with his family when he was nine years old.  He grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City and is the first Dominican-American to serve in the United States Congress.”

4. Rep. Ami Bera, M.D. (Represents California’s 7th District) – University of California, Irvine

“He attended California’s public schools from grammar school through medical school, earning both his B.S. and M.D. from the University of California, Irvine. With help from his family, scholarships, and working part-time, he put himself through medical school while taking advantage of federally-funded student loans, and graduating with less than $10,000 in debt. He credits much of his success to his country’s investment in him, and he’s working to ensure that we continue to invest in hard-working Americans to keep the American Dream alive for the next generation.”

5. Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (Represents American Samoa) – University of Guam

“She is the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from American Samoa. She is the first Republican woman of Samoan descent in Congress. She is also her party’s highest-ranking Asian Pacific elected federal officeholder in the nation. She has been the most senior member of the Republican National Committee since 2012 and holds the orator (talking chief) title of Aumua from the village of Pago Pago in American Samoa, where she is a registered voter.”

5 Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) with Psychological Counseling Services

By Rachel Bryan

Many Native American students come to Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) from communities that suffer from high unemployment rates, high rates of substance abuse, and high suicide rates (Educating a Diverse Nation, p. 17). Since Native American students attending TCUs have to adjust to college life while coping with the struggles of their communities, TCUs are beginning to offer psychological counseling. Here are five TCUs that provide psychological counseling for their students:

1) College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN)

The College of the Muscogee Nation’s Health and Wellness Services include counseling, as well as services related to substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases. They ensure that staff are “knowledgeable of Native American viewpoints of health services and can provide a sensitive approach to making students feel comfortable seeking help.”

 

2) Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College offers counseling via their Student Support services, where counselors are equipped to address “mental health, domestic violence, sexual violence, grief support, college transition and career planning, and a range of emergency and crisis issues.”

 

3) Haskell Indian Nations University

Haskell Indian Nations University offers counseling via their Counseling Center. They are prepared for short-term counseling, and if the initial assessment requires, they will make referrals to other community resources.

4) Sinte Gleska University

Sinte Gleska University offers Personal Counseling, specifically, through their Student Assistance Program. With the goal of decreasing dropout rates, counselors are prepared to discuss “substance abuse, emotional, physical or sexual abuse, family problems, suicidal thoughts, financial management difficulties and interpersonal problems.”  

5) United Tribes Technical College

United Tribes Technical College provides counseling through their Psychological Services housed in their Wellness Center. Counselors are prepared to address ”anxiety, depression, substance abuse, trauma, family counseling, co-dependency,” and “relationship counseling.”

Meet 5 API Standing Presidents/Chancellors of AANAPISI 4-Year Public Universities

by See Xiong

According to 2016 data from the American Council on Education (ACE), only 2.0% of college president identify as Asian or Asian American. Although Asian Pacific Islanders are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States and are well educated, not many Asian Pacific Islanders pursue college presidency positions.

Get to know five Asian Americans leading a 4-year public university with status as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution.

1. Dr. Ellen Junn, appointed 2016
California State University, Stanislaus
Turlock, California

Dr. Ellen Junn became the 11^thpresident of California State University, Stanislaus in 2016. She became the 2^ndwoman of color to lead the University since its establishment in 1957 and the first Korean American woman to lead a 4-year university in the United States.

Before coming to CSU Stanislaus, Junn was the provost and vice president of academic affairs at CSU Dominguez Hills; Associate Provost at CSU Fresno, and Associate Dean of the College of Health and Human Development at CSU Fullerton. Junn received her Doctor of Philosophy in Cognitive and Developmental Psychology from Princeton University. Junn’s parents were immigrants to the United States after the Korean War. Her upbringing in segregated Georgia in the 1960s influenced her to strive for diversity at her campus to create an inclusive campus environment.

2. Dr. Bjong Wolf Yeigh, appointed 2013
University of Washington, Bothell Campus
Bothell, Washington

Dr. Bjong Wolf Yeigh became the chancellor of the University of Washington, Bothell in 2013. Yeigh came to the United States from South Korea at the age of 11 and lived in Seattle. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in civil engineering and operations research from Princeton University.

Before coming to UW Bothell, Yeigh was professor and president of the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome. Prior to that he was at Norwich University, where he held multiple leadership positions as vice president for academic affairs, dean of the faculty; and a joint professorship in the Mechanical Engineering Department and School of Business and management. He was also Dean of Engineering at Saint Louis University, Assistant Provost for Science and Technology at Yale University, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Oklahoma State University, and lecturer at Princeton University. Yeigh is also a veteran of the United States Navy where he served as a Tactical Air Intelligence Officer.

3. Dr. Leroy M. Morishita, appointed 2012
California State University, East Bay
Hayward, California

Dr. Leroy M. Morishita was appointed president of California State University, East Bay in 2012. Prior to his appointment as president, he was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Administration and Finance at San Francisco State University. Morishita holds an Education Doctorate (Ed.D) in administration, planning and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is the chair of the California State University’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative.

Morishita is 3^rdgeneration Japanese American. His grandfather came to the United States from Japan and the Morishita family established a 40-acre farm in Del Rey, part of Fresno County. Read more on Morishita’s Life Lesson here.

4. Dr. Leslie E. Wong, appointed 2012
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

Dr. Leslie E. Wong was appointed the 13th president of California State University, San Francisco (San Francisco State University) in 2012. Prior to his appointment, he was president of Northern Michigan University. He also worked at Valley City State University, the University of Southern Colorado and Evergreen State College. Wong received his Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology from Washington State University. In his commitment to student success, he leads San Francisco State University staff and faculty to commit to social justice, equity in public higher education.

5. Dr. Renu Khator, appointed 2008
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

Dr. Renu Khator became the chancellor of the University of Houston System and president of the University of Houston in 2008. She is the first Indian immigrant to head a major research university in the United States. Khator was born in Uttar Pradesh, Indian and received her Doctor of Philosophy in political science and public administration from Purdue University. Before coming to the University of Houston, she was Provost at the University of South Florida.

Within four years of joining the University of Houston, she led U of H to be ranked for the first time by U.S. News and World Report, being recognized by the Carnegie Foundation with Tier One status, as a world-class research university in 2012.