Honoring A3C's Leader - Cindy Ng Retirement
Dear Stanford A3C Community,
After 31 years of leadership and service, our Associate Dean and Scott J.J. Hsu Director of the Asian American Activities Center (A3C), Cindy Ng, has started her retirement as of Monday, February 14, 2022.
Cindy has spent her entire Stanford career at the A3C as she has always found joy in working with students and centering the needs of our most vulnerable so that they can find community and a sense of belonging here at Stanford. As a University leader, she has influenced policies to ensure that students who have been historically marginalized have adequate resources and leadership needed to survive and thrive at Stanford and beyond. She has held administrators accountable on issues around equity and ethical decisions and has been a thought partner to colleagues on how to create best practices when working with diverse students.
Her ability to create strong and lasting partnerships both on campus and in the broader community helped establish multiple opportunities for students to take advantage of. Some examples of her leadership includes the creation of our Empowering Asian/Asian American Communities Fellowship with the Haas Center for Public Service which allows students to engage with Asian/Asian American communities and apply what they have learned in and out of the classroom about race, diversity, equity, social justice, and the Asian/Asian American experience. In addition, with support from The Office of the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education and generous donors, Cindy established the Graduate Student in Residence for Undergraduate Research Support role to mentor students from under-resourced communities to develop their skills and create a stronger passion for community-engaged research. These opportunities continue to help students connect with and prepare for advancing research on their communities who often go underserved.
Cindy’s love for the community stems from her work with students. She has always said that it is her privilege to work with some of the brightest and most community-centered students in the world. It has always been one of Cindy’s honors to be a part of a students’ development from their first day of coming to Stanford, to graduating and becoming an active alumni - it is what kept her motivated to stay at the Center and continue building for the current and future generations that find community at the A3C. Over her tenure, she has touched the lives of hundreds of students and alumni along with the many colleagues that look to her for guidance and leadership.
Because of her strong commitment to students and leadership to Stanford on matters of equity, Cindy was recognized as one of the Amy J. Blue Award recipients in 2020, the highest recognized honor for staff members at the University.
It is difficult to capture the many ways Cindy has influenced Stanford and impacted our community in a single message as her leadership is immense and far-reaching. Below is the link to the formal announcement from Jan Barker-Alexander, Assistant Vice Provost for Inclusion and Community and Executive Director for the Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership (ECL) that helps shed light on the many other ways Cindy has impacted Stanford along with other spotlight articles.
Cindy has been the North Star that our community gladly follows and she is the person that many of us think of when asked about the type of leader one aspires to be. Cindy always does what is right and what is needed. Her leadership is a reminder of the impact of what it means to be an activist and the role that activism plays in creating and making change. Because of this, she has gained great respect and admiration from so many people at Stanford and beyond. What Cindy thinks matters to so many of us and she stimulates us to be our best and to always align our words with our actions. Our community is strong, thoughtful, and more prepared to take on adversities because Cindy has led with all of us in mind first.
Latana and I have been fortunate to be guided by Cindy in her last years at Stanford. She has helped us understand the kind of leader we aim to become and instilled a love, passion, and commitment to bettering our community, partnering with colleagues, and supporting our students. We ask for your patience as we approach this transition in the A3C and in the meantime, Latana and I will remain available in continuing to support the community. We invite you to meet with us or our wonderful student staff who are also eager to connect with you.
Thank you Cindy for the lasting impact you have had on all of us and Stanford. We hope that you enjoy this well-deserved next phase of your life and that it is filled with adventure and joy. We will miss you and look forward to welcoming your visits at the A3C. It has been an honor to have you as our leader.
With our Deepest Appreciation and Respect,
Jerald, Latana, and the A3C Student Staff
VPSA Announcement: Transformational Leader for 30+ years retires from Stanford - Cindy Ng
Stanford Receives Foundational Gift for Asian American Activities Center
Stanford Celebrates the 2020 and 2021 Amy J. Blue Award Winners (Cindy appears after 46 seconds)
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education - Learn How This Woman’s Journey Has Made Her ‘A Pillar of Stanford’s Asian American Community’
