Asian Pacific Islanders KC Spotlight

The NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Annual Conference is upon us. In less than a week, people from all across the United States and world will be gathering in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to attend the annual meeting. This year’s conference is set to be a special one as NASPA will be celebrating its 100^th anniversary as an association and the Asian Pacific Islanders Knowledge Community will be celebrating its 20^th anniversary of existence!

As someone who identifies as Desi-South Asian, lives in Colorado, and works as a new professional in student affairs, having the privilege to attend the national conference means so much to me. Once a year, our community – ‘ohana – comes together to celebrate each other, support each other, and be with each other. People from all institution types, regions, and years in the profession will come together. In 1998-1999, the first official year of the Asian Pacific Islander Knowledge Community, more than 20 people who identify as part of the APIDA community gathered at the national conference in New Orleans. This marked the largest concerted APIDA gathering at NASPA to date. Twenty years later, the APIDA community has grown tremendously as has the representation, gathering, and sheer number of people working in higher education and student affairs. We are set to have our largest gathering to date on our 20^th anniversary of existence at this year’s NASPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia.

How far we have come as a community to experience steady growth year after year. How far we have come to where we are now being represented in higher education and student affairs. How far we have come to witness the giants who have come before us pave the way for the next generation of APIDA scholars and practitioners to go further. The Annual Conference is more than a time to attend educational sessions and gain professional development; it is an opportunity for people to come together, find and build community, and ensure there is a path toward greater representation and commitment. This is what the Asian Pacific Islanders Knowledge Community is all about. It “seeks to educate and inform NASPA members about the current issues, trends, and research facing Asian Pacific Islanders in higher education. We actively nurture and support the professional development of students and professionals through a variety of programs and by providing leadership and involvement opportunities within the KC.”

For those of you attending the NASPA Annual Conference, check out the following programs and events taking place Sunday through Wednesday in Philadelphia as well as our 2018 APIKC Award winners.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

• 4:00pm - 4:30pm APIKC New Member Orientation (An information session for first time attendees) @ Convention Center Room 112B
• 6:30pm – 8:00pm Vietnamese/Vietnamese American SAPros Social @ Dim Sum Garden, 1020 Race St.
• 8:00pm - 10:00pm APIKC Welcome to the Ohana Social (Networking and mingling; Present and past APPEX  participants are encouraged to attend!) @ El Vez, 121 S. 13th Street 

Monday, March 5, 2018

• 8:00am - 9:30am APIKC Annual Business Meeting @ Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown, Philadelphia Ballroom North
• 10:00am - 11:00am Womxn of Color Hangout @ Marriott Downtown, Room 306
• 8:00pm - 10:00pm APIKC 20th Anniversary Celebration @ Marriott Downtown, Room 310
• 9:00pm: #HigherEdDesi Social @ Field House, 1150 Filbert St.

Tuesday March 6, 2018

• 9:00am - 10:30am APIKC APIDA Scholars Collective (A session re: scholarship for APIDA scholars and professionals) @ Courtyard Saloon III
• 11:00am - 11:45am Pinxy NASPA 2018 Meet Up: Kape At Usapan @ Overlook Cafe, 2nd Floor Convention Center
• 12:00pm - 1:30pm APIKC Networking Lunch @ Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House, 1022 Race Street (CASH ONLY)
• 6:00pm - 7:00pm Annual APIKC Awards Reception @ Loews Congress B  as we honor:
  • 2018 Doris Michiko Ching Shattering the Glass Ceiling Award Recipient:  Dr. Ajay Nair, Emory University
  • 2018 Henry Gee Outstanding Mentoring Award Recipient:  Dr. Christine Quemuel, University of Hawaii-Manoa
  • 2018 Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award Recipient:  Dr. Delia Cheung Hom, Northeastern University
  • 2018 Distinguished Contribution to Research and Scholarship Recipient:  Dr. Tracy Poon Tambascia, University of Southern California 
  • 2018 Rising Star Award Recipient:  Peter Satugarn Limthongviratn, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
  • 2018 Future Leader Award Recipient: Varaxy Yi, University of Denver & Joren Plunkett, University of Utah
  • 2018 Very Involved Participant Award Recipients:  Susan Huynh, New York University & Melissa Camba-Kelsay, University of Rhode Island

Wednesday March 7, 2018

• 8:00am - 10:00am Farewell Breakfast in collaboration with Latinx/a/o KC & Undocumented Immigrants & Allies KC @ Down Home Diner, 51 N. 12th St.

I hope to see some of you at the aforementioned events during the NASPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia - mahalo!

Ali Raza is a Program Coordinator in Campus Activities at Colorado State University. He is on the NASPA IV-W Advisory Board serving as the Asian Pacific Islanders Knowledge Community Representative. For more information on the API Knowledge Community or if you would like to get in touch with Ali, feel free to reach out to him at [email protected] or visit the APIKC website here.