Date: Mon, June 16, 2025 | Time: 5:30PM to 9PM
Place: CUNY Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue, Concourse Level, Manhattan
Tickets
Regular: $200 | Student: $50 (Student ID Required)
Ticket/Table & Digital Journal Ad Form | Online Payment
Extended RSVP Deadline: Tues, June 3, 2025
Ad Deadline: Fri, June 6, 2025
Join us to celebrate the Asian American / Asian Research Institute’s 24th anniversary as part of The City University of New York! AAARI’s fundraising gala will convene over 200 supporters, community leaders, and advocates committed to uplifting and advancing the Asian American Pacific Islander community. The Institute has a proud history of championing research, education, and advocacy that benefits Asian American Pacific Islander communities across New York. In line with our mission, this year’s event will honor the remarkable achievements of Asian American women in public service who have paved the way for greater representation, policy innovation, and community empowerment for all.
Gala Program
Gala Co-Emcees
Ernabel Demillo & Vivian Lee
Hosts, Asian American Life
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5:30pm – Dinner & Networking
6:25pm – Greetings
Joshua Brumberg
President, CUNY Graduate Center
Remarks by Elected Officials & Representatives
6:50pm – Transition to Proshanky Auditorium
7:00pm – Honoree Recognition
John J. Chin
Interim Dean, AAARI-CUNY
Frank H. Wu
President, Queens College
Video Remarks
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez
Poetry Reading by BMCC Students
Aqib Shaikh & Min Zeng
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CUNY Thomas Tam Scholarship
Cynthia Leung (Brooklyn College)
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CUNY Ethics and Morality Essay Contest
Best Essay
Christine Vera Polintan (Hunter College)
First Runner-Up Essay
Jin Lin Jiang (Baruch College)
Second Runner-Up Essay
Allison Lynch (John Jay College of Criminal Justice)
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AAARI Innovators Fellowship Program
Amy Feng Zhang (Baruch College)
Dowon Kim (Borough of Manhattan Community College)
Faraj Arvid (Baruch College)
Haasil Pujara (Hunter College)
Jennifer Nasir (Queens College)
Jiale Lin (LaGuardia Community College)
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Betty Lee Sung Research Endowment
Larry Tung (Fashion Institute of Technology) & Mehrunnisa Wani (York College)
Ava Chin (College of Staten Island & CUNY Graduate Center)
Tianyu Hua (University of California, Davis)
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CUNY Faculty Research Support Program
Yuchen Chen (Baruch College)
Soyeon Cho (NYC College of Technology)
Prithi Kanakamedala (Bronx Community College)
Khánh Lê (Queens College) & Alisha Nguyen (Lesley University)
Sally Wen Mao (Baruch College)
Esther Son (College of Staten Island)
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Leadership Award
Hon. Grace Lee, NYS Assemblymember, 65th District
Hon. Linda Lee, NYC Councilmember, District 23
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7:25pm – Conversation with Leadership Awardees:
“The Rise of Asian American Women in Politics”
8:05pm – Dessert & Networking
Table Sponsors
- Borough of Manhattan Community College (Jade Level)
- City University of New York (Jade Level)
- LaGuardia Community College (Jade Level)
- Heung Tam
- Hunter College (Jade Level)
- Nathan William Harkins (Jade Level)
Journal Ads
- Baruch College
- Bayard Street Obstetrics & Gynecology
- CUNY School of Law
- Forgotten History of Chinese in New York
- Kingsborough Community College
- Queens College
Co-Sponsors
CUNY Graduate Center Ph.D. Program in Sociology
CUNY Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies Initiative
Planning Committee
John J. Chin, Francisco Delgado, Ellen Lai, Antony Wong & Judy Yu
