UC Berkeley Adds Six Tenure-Track AAPI Specialists

New hires will bolster Asian American and Pacific Islander studies on campus

Published on Feb. 3, 2026

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UC Berkeley has hired six new tenure-track professors specializing in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) studies, including one of the university's first Pacific Islander faculty members. The new "AAPI Transpacific Futures" cluster hire is the culmination of over a decade of advocacy by students and faculty to expand AAPI scholarship and representation on campus. The hires will bring expertise in ethnic studies, geography, education, public health and environmental sciences to several different Berkeley schools and colleges.

Why it matters

Berkeley's undergraduate student body is 40% Asian American, but the university previously had only around 10 scholars across campus specifically trained in Asian American studies. The new hires will help address this gap and provide more mentorship opportunities for AAPI students. The cluster hire also reflects Berkeley's location at the "nexus point" of the Asia-Pacific region, making it a prime place to study these communities.

The details

The new AAPI Transpacific Futures cluster includes six tenure-track professors: Long Le-Khac (ethnic studies), Kourtney Christen Kawano (education), Charmaine Chua (geography), Brian TaeHyuk Keum (public health), Ida Yalzadeh (ethnic studies), and one more hire planned in environmental sciences. This interdisciplinary group was recruited through a "cluster hire" process to bolster AAPI studies across different Berkeley schools and colleges. The cluster hire was enabled by $15 million in state funding as well as support from campus leadership.

  • Over 50 years ago, students at UC Berkeley went on strike demanding the creation of an Ethnic Studies department, which led to the establishment of the Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies program.
  • In 2024, the Asian American Transpacific Futures proposal was formally approved after extensive consultation and coordination across campus.
  • This fall, four of the six new AAPI studies professors joined Long Le-Khac on the Berkeley campus.

The players

Long Le-Khac

An assistant professor of ethnic studies and the first member of the AAPI Transpacific Futures cluster hire.

Kourtney Christen Kawano

A Native Hawaiian education professor, one of Berkeley's first Pacific Islander faculty members.

Lok Siu

The former program coordinator of Berkeley's Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies program, who began fundraising to hire more professors to meet student demand.

Raka Ray

The dean of the Division of Social Sciences at UC Berkeley, who supported the investment in AAPI scholarship.

Colleen Lye

An English professor who chairs the Asian American Research Center at UC Berkeley.

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What they’re saying

“Forty percent of the undergraduate student body at Berkeley is Asian American. We [had] maybe 10 scholars across campus who are specifically trained in Asian American studies and can offer those classes. That's ridiculous. The need for Pacific Islander studies was even more stark.”

— Long Le-Khac, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies

“Berkeley sits … at the nexus point of the most consequential power dynamic and axis of change of the 21st century: the relationship between Asia, America and the Pacific. If we don't have people studying it, we are losing out on a huge opportunity.”

— Long Le-Khac, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies

“Even amid real budget pressures, Berkeley continues to invest where it matters most. Located where we are, how could we not promote scholarship on Asian American and Pacific Islander communities? It is essential both to our public mission and to understanding the forces and counterforces that shape our democracy.”

— Raka Ray, Dean of the Division of Social Sciences

What’s next

Hiring is underway for the final position in the AAPI Transpacific Futures cluster - a tenure-track assistant professor in the Rausser College of Natural Resources who will likely focus on climate change in the Pacific.

The takeaway

This investment in AAPI studies at UC Berkeley, despite budget pressures, demonstrates the university's commitment to addressing the lack of representation and scholarship in this area. The new hires will expand mentorship opportunities for AAPI students and deepen understanding of the Asia-Pacific region's influence on American society and democracy.