Patricia Châu Nguyễn
Director of Systemwide Alumni Engagement, University of California Office of the President
Patricia Châu Nguyễn serves as the Senior Director of Diversity Programs for UCLA Alumni Affairs. For the past ten years, she has served in multiple roles in merging student affairs diversity, equity and inclusion work in higher education – ranging from intercultural living and learning communities, multicultural Greek life, summer bridge programs, multicultural centers, and social justice education.
Nguyễn also consults nationally on issues related to interfaith conversations, ethics, meaning-making and intersectionality in practice. She serves as a founding member of Racial Aikido, an affinity-based identity retreat that equips students of color at predominantly white institutions.
Nguyễn received her Master of Education in higher education and student affairs administration from the University of Vermont, and her Bachelor of Science in cellular and developmental biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She currently a doctoral student the UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences researching diverse alumni engagement and philanthropy in higher education.
Nguyễn’s experiences working with marginalized college students has fueled a commitment and passion to push institutions of higher education to build capacity towards diversity. She hopes to engage all members of the university, including alumni, to build inclusive campus communities and help new graduate manifests the benefits of higher education for themselves, their families and their communities.