{"id":15834,"date":"2024-11-22T09:43:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/?page_id=15834"},"modified":"2025-05-09T09:48:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T13:48:41","slug":"asian-american-faculty-association","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/programs-and-initiatives\/asian-american-faculty-association\/","title":{"rendered":"Asian American Faculty Association"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_15835\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignright\" style=\"width: 310px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"UNC SOM AAFA meeting with the Undergraduate Asian American Center, April 2022\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-1536x1149.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-2048x1532.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-280x210.jpg 280w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/UNC-SOM-AAFA-at-AAC-600x449.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">UNC SOM AAFA meeting with the Undergraduate Asian American Center, April 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure><p class=\"lead\">We invite you to join the UNC School of Medicine Affinity Group Asian American Faculty Association (AAFA) with the goal of supporting, empowering, and celebrating our Asian American (AA) faculty and fostering opportunities for networking, communication, and growth. The AAFA Affinity Group is open to all.<\/p>\n<h2>Our Mission<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>To Increase education and dialogue on issues affecting Asian Americans<\/li>\n<li>Support leadership, career development, and advancement among AA faculty<\/li>\n<li>Foster the exchange of diverse intellectual, social, cultural, and political perspectives from the AA faculty<\/li>\n<li>Enhance the University\u2019s inclusion commitment to teaching, service, and outreach to the Asian American community<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Recent Happenings<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"media alt-media\">\n        \n                            <li class=\"media-listitem\">\n                                            <a class=\"pull-left\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/2025\/06\/aafa-in-2025\/\">\n                            <div class=\"thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2025\/06\/AAFA-2025-Hawkers-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post_thumbnail size-post_thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Group of people sitting at a table with food and drinks smiling\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2025\/06\/AAFA-2025-Hawkers-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2025\/06\/AAFA-2025-Hawkers-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\">                            <\/div>\n                        <\/a>\n                                        <div class=\"media-body\">\n                        <div class=\"caption\">\n                            <h4 class=\"media-heading\" data-shouldbe=\"h4\">                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/2025\/06\/aafa-in-2025\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" title=\"AAFA in 2025!\">\n                                    AAFA in 2025!<\/a>\n                                <\/h4>                            <p>AAFA in 2025! It was good to catch up at our favorite local eatery, Hawkers! We feasted on Baos, haw fun, pad thai, soup dumplings. Emily let us know that she was interviewed on the People\u2019s Pharmacy (see separate posting). Lee-Ching qualified at the Chapel Hill and North Carolina level in Badminton so will proceed &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/2025\/06\/aafa-in-2025\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about AAFA in 2025!\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/li>\n                                \n                            <li class=\"media-listitem\">\n                                            <a class=\"pull-left\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/2025\/06\/aafa-members-in-news\/\">\n                            <div class=\"thumbnail\">\n                                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2025\/06\/Emiily-Change-2025-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post_thumbnail size-post_thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2025\/06\/Emiily-Change-2025-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2025\/06\/Emiily-Change-2025-1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\">                            <\/div>\n                        <\/a>\n                                        <div class=\"media-body\">\n                        <div class=\"caption\">\n                            <h4 class=\"media-heading\" data-shouldbe=\"h4\">                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/2025\/06\/aafa-members-in-news\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" title=\"AAFA members in the news!\">\n                                    AAFA members in the news!<\/a>\n                                <\/h4>                            <p>AAFA members in the news! Emily Chang was interviewed on Terry and Joe Graedon\u2019s the People\u2019s Pharmacy podcast. She gave an update on Kidney Health. Watch the podcast and see the website article here. https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-peoples-pharmacy\/id268003768?i=1000680294991 Also the article on their website is here: https:\/\/www.peoplespharmacy.com\/articles\/show-1411-could-your-kidneys-be-failing-you-the-hidden-epidemic-affecting-millions<\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/li>\n                                <\/ul>\n    \n<a class=\"btn btn-lg btn-primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/category\/aafa\">View More News<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>AAFA Co-Directors<\/h2>\n<div class=\"container-fluid divisions-container multi-column\">\n    \n            <article class=\"row post entry\">\n            <div class=\"directory-gallery-thumbnail\">\n                                                                                                \t\t\n                    <div class=\"upd-image\">\n                        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"upd_img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/Alice-Chuang-MD-MEd-731x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Alice Chuang, MD, MEd\" height=\"160\" width=\"120\" \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"print_img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/Alice-Chuang-MD-MEd-731x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                    <\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"directory-gallery-content\">\n                <h2 class=\"entry-title\">                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/directory\/alice-chuang\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">\n                            Alice Chuang, MD, MEd                        <\/a>\n                                    <\/h2> \n                \n                                                                    <p>Associate Dean for Student Affairs, UNC SOM; Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:achuang@med.unc.edu\">achuang@med.unc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"aafa-bio\">\n<p>Bio: Alice Chuang was born in Taipei, Taiwan but moved to Memphis, TN at the age of 5 months. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics at Harvard and then returned to her hometown of Memphis to attend medical school and residency at the University of TN. She accepted a faculty appointment at UNC SOM in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2003. She has been fortunate to have served as a course director in all phases of the curriculum and to have served as a student advisor before shifting to a formal role in Student Affairs. She currently serves as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.<\/p>\n<p>She is grateful for having the opportunity to serve the students at UNC and credits her career achievements to her extraordinary mentors, particularly Dr. Frank Ling who steered her towards a career in medical education as a resident. She credits her career satisfaction to a community, both local and national, of amazing colleagues and friends. She credits her sanity and insanity to her two children, ages 16 and 13, the menagerie of animals in their home: Memphis (Aussiedoodle) Luna (Westiepoo), Yoshi (chiweenie), Cooper (box turtle) and Upendo (artic albino Western hognose snake) and her partner, who is coincidentally also an obstetrician.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/article>\n\n            <article class=\"row post entry\">\n            <div class=\"directory-gallery-thumbnail\">\n                                                                                                \t\t\n                    <div class=\"upd-image\">\n                        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"upd_img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/Zev-Nakamura-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Zev Nakamura, MD\" height=\"160\" width=\"120\" \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"print_img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/Zev-Nakamura-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                    <\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"directory-gallery-content\">\n                <h2 class=\"entry-title\">                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/directory\/zev-nakamura\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">\n                            Zev Nakamura, MD                        <\/a>\n                                    <\/h2> \n                \n                                                                    <p>Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:zev_nakamura@med.unc.edu\">zev_nakamura@med.unc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"aafa-bio\"><\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/article>\n\n    \n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        (function($){\n            var entries = $('.entry-content');\n                entries.each(function(index, entry ){\n                    if( $(entry).find('.post-author').length === 0 ) {\n                        $(entry).parents('article.post.entry').css('min-height', '110px');\n                    }\n                });\n        })(jQuery);\n    <\/script>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Past Founding Co-Director<\/h2>\n<div class=\"container-fluid divisions-container multi-column\">\n    \n            <article class=\"row post entry\">\n            <div class=\"directory-gallery-thumbnail\">\n                                                                                                \t\t\n                    <div class=\"upd-image\">\n                        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"upd_img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/12\/Linda-Van-Le-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Linda Van Le, MD\" height=\"160\" width=\"120\" \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"print_img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/12\/Linda-Van-Le-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                    <\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"directory-gallery-content\">\n                <h2 class=\"entry-title\">                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/directory\/linda-van-le\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">\n                            Linda Van Le, MD                        <\/a>\n                                    <\/h2> \n                \n                                                                    <p>Leonard D. Palumbo Distinguished Professor of Gynecologic Oncology<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:linda_van_le@med.unc.edu\">linda_van_le@med.unc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/article>\n\n    \n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        (function($){\n            var entries = $('.entry-content');\n                entries.each(function(index, entry ){\n                    if( $(entry).find('.post-author').length === 0 ) {\n                        $(entry).parents('article.post.entry').css('min-height', '110px');\n                    }\n                });\n        })(jQuery);\n    <\/script>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Committees<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size: large;font-weight: bold\">Communications:<\/p>\n<p>Develop and create regular communications (interest stories, opinion pieces), communicate with SOM and healthcare system, managing website (or whichever communication platform is determined to be best), provide updates from other\u00a0committees.<\/p>\n<p><u>Members:<\/u> <em>Drs. Ganesh Kamath, Michael Wang, &amp; Michael Yeung<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: large;font-weight: bold\">Networking:<\/p>\n<p>Event planning with an eye towards strengthening specific\u00a0AAFA\u00a0networks (e.g., professional role, ethnicity, mothering, sports interests,\u00a0other), fostering member engagement, opportunities to meet and network.<\/p>\n<p><u>Members:<\/u> <em>Drs. Arielle Perez, Muneera Kapadia, Lee-Ching Zhu, &amp; Priyanka Vedak<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: large;font-weight: bold\">Advocacy and Community Engagement:<\/p>\n<p>Explore ways to engage with the local and national Asian American community with a focus on service and advocacy.<\/p>\n<p><u>Members:<\/u> <em>Drs. Vibhor Kirshna, Vimal Derbail, Vinay Chaudhry, Zahra Girnary, &amp; Mia Kang<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: large;font-weight: bold\">Professional development:<\/p>\n<p>Create seminars, workshops, lectures around promotion and leadership building, utilizing UNC resources e.g., SOM Faculty Development, other UNC leadership programs on campus.<\/p>\n<p><u>Members:<\/u> <em>Drs. <strong>Zev Nakamura (Chair)<\/strong>, Michelle Itano, Koyal Jain, Karina Whelan, Chrissy Kistler, Weiming Tang, &amp; Dana Iglesias<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: large;font-weight: bold\">Mentoring:<\/p>\n<p>Connecting with undergraduate students, medical students, and residents to advise, mentor, coach and support future AA scientists, physicians, and healthcare providers.<\/p>\n<p><u>Members:<\/u> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/faculty-development\/asian-american-faculty-association\/mentoring-committee\/\">View AAFA Mentoring Committee<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"row  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<h3>Other Asian American Affiliates at UNC<\/h3>\n<div class=\"col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12 col-sm-12 oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/chuang-and-apamsa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/chuang-and-apamsa.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/chuang-and-apamsa-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/chuang-and-apamsa-280x210.jpg 280w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/427\/2024\/11\/chuang-and-apamsa-600x450.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-lg-8 col-md-8 col-xs-12 col-sm-12 oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\nFounded in 2020, the Asian American Center\u2019s mission is to cultivate a critical understanding of Asian American peoples, cultures, and histories. Through education, organizing, and advocacy, the AAC will engage and empower Asian American students, faculty, and staff and the greater Carolina community. The AAC will enhance the University\u2019s commitment to excellence by expanding access to interdisciplinary learning and preparing the next generation of leaders for an increasingly multicultural society.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg\" href=\"https:\/\/aac.unc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our Mission To Increase education and dialogue on issues affecting Asian Americans Support leadership, career development, and advancement among AA faculty Foster the exchange of diverse intellectual, social, cultural, and political perspectives from the AA faculty Enhance the University\u2019s inclusion commitment to teaching, service, and outreach to the Asian American community Recent Happenings View More &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/2025\/06\/aafa-members-in-news\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about AAFA members in the news!\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79967,"featured_media":0,"parent":2301,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-15834","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79967"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15834\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/facultyaffairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}