2008 Recipient Olivia Lin (Hunter College)
June 19, 2008 – The Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI), of The City University of New York (CUNY), is pleased to announce the 2008 recipient of the CUNY Thomas Tam Scholarship, Ms. Olivia Lin, a senior at Hunter College, majoring in Media Studies, with a minor in Asian American Studies. Ms. Lin’s project, Founding of the Coalition for the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter (CRAASH), was selected from a diverse pool of outstanding applicants from colleges throughout the University including Baruch, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, Kingsborough, and Medgar Evers.
Unable to declare a minor in Asian American Studies at Hunter College in Fall 2006, due to an administrative freeze placed on the minor, Ms. Lin and four other students founded CRAASH, a student-led group advocating on behalf of the Asian American Studies Program on their campus which they believed to be underfunded. Featured in various newspapers, blogs, and other media outlets, CRAASH has conducted letter and email campaigns to State and City officials, as well as met with administrators at Hunter College and CUNY to voice their concerns and opinions on the inadequate support being given to the Asian American Studies Program.
Due to the impressive list of projects submitted for consideration for the 2008 CUNY Thomas Tam Scholarship, the family of the late Dr. Thomas Tam has announced that they will be making an additional contribution to support the award of $250 Honorable Mention Scholarships to each of the following four students:
Reshama Shah (City College)
Project: College Readiness Program
Hong Xin (Hunter College)
Project: Unknown Melody
Jian Liu (City College)
Project: Civic Leaders of Tomorrow Public Policy Fellowship
Erick F. Paiva Nouchi (Kingsborough Community College)
Project: Mirror of Stone
All of the 2008 CUNY Thomas Tam recipients will be honored at AAARI’s 7th Annual Banquet on October 30, 2008, at Golden Bridge Restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown. We hope you will join us that evening to congratulate all of these fine students on their leadership and support of the Asian American community.
Scholarship Committee: Brian Schwartz (Chair), Hiroko Karan, Joyce Moy, Pearl Tam
Coordinator: William Tam
