Happy 2026!
As a member of the Asian and Asian Pacific American Alumni Network (AAPAAN) Board and chair of the AAPI Advancement Award, I want to thank you for staying connected with UVA’s growing AAPI alumni community. I would also like to personally invite you to participate in the AAPI Advancement Award selection process.
The AAPI Advancement Award is a biennial award established in the spring of 2022 to honor UVA faculty members who have made significant contributions towards greater understanding and appreciation of Asian culture or Asian-American relations. The award recipient is chosen by AAPI alumni through an online nomination and voting process. We have been thrilled by the ongoing strong support from the AAPI alumni community for the award, and we want to make the 2026 award our most inclusive yet.
This is why your participation is so important. With input from young alumni like you, we hope to recognize outstanding contributions to AAPI causes by our newest faculty members whose names may be unfamiliar to those who graduated before you.
You can learn more about the AAPI Advancement Award and the previous recipients on our awards page.
The nomination form is now live and can be accessed through February 13.
We plan to present this year’s award on April 25, 2026, during Asian Alumni Weekend. We are super excited about this year’s celebration, and we really can’t do it without your support. Please help us make this event a success, with both your nomination and with your vote!
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Wen-Kai Lu (Grad class of ’88)
Chair, AAPI Advancement Award