April 5, 2017- BERKELEY, CA—The Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE) has chosen Berkeley City College President Rowena Tomaneng as the recipient of its coveted President’s Award for 2017. The award honors the accomplishments of Asian and Pacific Island American college presidents and will be presented at APAHE’s annual conference and thirty year celebration on Thursday, April 6 at the Marriott City Center in Oakland.

A doctoral candidate in International and Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco, Tomaneng took the helm as President of Berkeley City College in August 2016.  She expects to complete her dissertation on the educational dimensions of Filipina migrant workers’ activist identities this summer. She received her M.A. in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara and B.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine.

Before coming to BCC, Tomaneng served as the Associate Vice President of Instruction at De Anza College in Cupertino for six years. There, she lead the college’s institutional efforts with a number of initiatives, including Civic Engagement, Student Equity, and the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution program (AANAPISI). In 2006, Tomaneng was a founding co-director and developed a range of community and educational partnerships at the Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action, formerly the Institute for Community and Civic Engagement.

Tomaneng is also a faculty affiliate of the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute (APALI) in Cupertino whose mission is to address the need to increase civic engagement and community voice for Asian Americans and other underrepresented groups through education and civic network.

Tomaneng expressed her gratitude for being chosen for the award and noted the significance of the work done by APAHE. “For over 21 years, I have devoted my teaching, research, and administrative work in the service of AAPI and other students of color. APAHE has been a leader in promoting equity in advancement and opportunity for Asian and Pacific Island Americans. Its example and leadership have shaped my practice as an equity-based educational leader within and outside of the institution,” Tomaneng said.

APAHE is dedicated to enhancing the educational opportunities for Asian and Pacific American students; promoting and supporting the hiring, retention, and advancement of qualified Asian and Pacific American faculty, staff, and administrators; and creating a better understanding of issues in the public affecting Asian and Pacific Americans in higher education.

Read the Press Release here.