APAN is constantly looking for ways to enhance the APIDA experience for professionals and students alike. We encourage you to check out the following programs and initiatives, and to get involved!

Regional Ambassadors

APAN Regional Ambassadors provide leadership and outreach to their local region regarding APAN events, publications, and announcements. Working collaboratively with other Regional Ambassadors and the APAN Lead Team, they increase awareness and involvement within APAN among APIDA student affairs professionals in their region.

For more information, contact Community Engagement Co-Chairs Eric Carnaje and Hannah Hyun White.

Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans (APIDA) in Higher Education Database

APAN maintains a database of APIDA professionals in higher education. This is a public database that is distributed amongst our APAN members to help facilitate the networking of APIDA professionals based on region, areas of interest, positions, and more. To add yourself to the database, click here. 

Network Socials (Regional & Convention)

Community and relationship-building is a central component to APAN’s activities. To facilitate connections between members, APAN organizes socials and gatherings to bring people together, whether at Convention each spring or hosted by members in local cities and regions throughout the year.

For more information, or to volunteer to host a social (it’s easy, and requires little time commitment!), contact Community Engagement Co-Chairs Eric Carnaje and Hannah Hyun White.

Convention Events (CultureFest)

As a constituent network of CMA, APAN contributes to CultureFest, CMA’s signature event at ACPA’s annual Convention. CultureFest is a celebration of tradition and culture through creative expression and the arts, which honors and recognizes the diversity within CMA, ACPA, and the higher education community. Each year, APAN assists with the planning and implementation of CultureFest.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Convention Programs Co-Chairs Yuan Zhou and I.C. Ulep.  

Regional Coordination

Currently, each with a regional coordinator in charge of bringing together nearby members for professional and social networking opportunities in between conventions. 

  • Mid-Atlantic: DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV 

  • New England/New York: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT

  • Pacific Northwest: ID, OR, WA 

  • Southern California  

  • Southwest: AZ, NM, NV 

  • Southeast: AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN      

  • Northern California  

  • Rocky Mountain: CO, MT, UT, WY

  • Midwest North: IA, MN, ND, SD 

  • Great Lakes: IL, IN, MI, OH, WI 

  • Midwest South: KS, MO, NE, OK 

  • South: AR, LA, TX 

  • Alaska   

  • Hawaii  

Scholarship, Research, and Advocacy

As higher education professionals, APAN is of course passionate about education. APAN's research, scholarship, and advocacy efforts focus on:

  • Gathering and distributing information about APIDA-related issues, major incidents, and professional development opportunities

  • Developing APAN’s ability to respond to incidents and issues in a timely manner

  • Coordinating the APAN history project and other projects as determined by APAN leadership team

  • Maintain contact with those currently doing research on APIDA students and issues

  • Connect people with similar research interest (both in APIDA issues and who are APIDA-identified doing research in other areas)

For more information, contact Scholarship, Research, and Advocacy Co-Chairs, Paula Hoàng and Erlina Delacruz.

APAN Strategic Plan (2008)

In 2008, a small group of APAN members developed a strategic plan. With the help of many members of the APIA community, they were able to develop a future direction for APAN.

For more information, contact APAN Co-Chairs Sheraz Iqbal and Eric Carnaje.

APAN Blog (archived)

Our blog was retired and archived in Spring 2020; however, we still welcome community members to browse through it as they'd like.