Coordinator’s Fall 2013 Welcome Message

As the new Coordinator of the Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies Program, I want to extend a warm welcome to everyone! I hope you had a restful summer and are ready for another productive and inspiring year.

First, please join me in thanking Professor Elaine Kim for her many years of dedication and service as program coordinator. Under her leadership, AAADS has thrived and grown in amazing ways. I intend to build on the solid foundation she set and to continue to cultivate a strong sense of community among students, faculty, and staff.

In fact, one of my main goals will be to improve the channels of communication and to increase collaboration between students and AAADS. Toward that end, I will use our Facebook page and program website more effectively to provide the most up-to-date information on classes, events, and alerts. AAADS also recently set up a LinkedIn page so our friends and supporters can network and communicate via another platform. In addition, I plan to conduct regular meetings with AAADS majors/minors to discuss programming ideas and curricular needs. Your feedback and participation will help shape the future direction of AAADS.

An ongoing project that will get a jumpstart is the alumni outreach effort. In addition to setting up an alumni database, I will be working with Professor Lisa Hirai Tsuchitani to explore possibilities for AAADS-alumni collaboration, such as creating a mentorship program that connects alumni with current students.

In terms of programming, we will be hosting/cohosting a variety of events, including the Open House Luncheon for current and prospective majors/minors; a panel on Asian American civic engagement; presentations on South Korean literature, film, and visual arts; and a symposium on war and militarism in Asia/America.

We have an exciting year ahead of us! Please be sure to visit our website and Facebook page for updates and announcements. Of course, you are welcome to visit my office as well! I look forward to meeting all of you soon!

All Best,

Professor Lok Siu

Coordinator, Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies Program

Associate Professor, Department of Ethnic Studies