Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May)

Did you know?

From the United State Census Bureau: "In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed May 10, 1869. In 1992, Congress expanded the observance to a monthlong celebration now known as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month." Source: United State Census Bureau

In the College of Engineering, all are welcome. To better share the stories of how our faculty, staff, students and alumni are diverse in their many varying forms, we are celebrating various heritage and other nationally recognized months. This recognition will include stories about those in our greater engineering community, as well as sharing events and other opportunities.


Developing the Complete Engineer

Yusong Li Throughout May, Lamp Rynearson celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APAHM). As part of this years celebration, they sat down with Dr. Yusong Li to discuss her role as a change-maker and how the college is training the new generation of Complete Engineers.
A diverse and inclusive engineering workforce is critical to the future.
Yusong Lie Associate Dean for Faculty and Inclusion, College of Engineering
Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Read Article


Featured Stories

Dr. Wang at Acoustical Society of America meeting (May 2019) with two of her graduates (Laura Brill, MS'17; Ellen Peng, PhD'14)
Read Lily's Story
Director, Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction Charles W. and Margre H. Durham Distinguished Professor
“Beware and don't fall for the stereotypes about engineering! Working as an engineer is powerful and fulfilling. Engineers solve problems to improve people's lives, and we need more diverse perspectives to continue doing that equitably and impactfully.”

Read Lily's Story
Leen-Kiat Soh
Read Leen-Kiat's Story
Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
“Be persistent and invest time and effort. Be inquisitive and ask questions. Be mindful and think about your learning and acquiring new knowledge. Be open-minded and appreciate different viewpoints. Be caring and consider the impacts of your work. Seek help if you are doubtful.”

Read Leen-Kiat's Story
Xuan Le working in a lab.
Read Xuan's Story
Student: Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
“Cultural celebration fosters respect and open-mindedness. It is important to celebrate my heritage because I get to commemorate the events and traditions that have made me who I am today. Celebrating heritage doesn’t need to be huge; it can be as little as enjoying a home cooked meal with your family or dressing up in your traditional clothes.”

Read Xuan's Story
Yongfeng Lu
Read Yongfeng's Story
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
“From my own heritage and the different cultures I experienced in the four countries I have lived, I learned the importance and value of the diversity. Cultures and religions are cultivated through thousands of years by millions or billions of people. Through respect and mutual understanding, we can build strong bonds with colleagues and collaborators.”

Read Yongfeng's Story
Emily Ritzdorf sitting with her parents at Pinnacle Bank Arena for a Huskers basketball game.
Read Emily's Story
Student: Architectural Engineering
“Celebrating one's heritage is important to my family and me because although our blood isn't the same we can still honor the people and traditions from the past. This diversity of my upbringing has allowed me a unique outlook on life and realize that people are not that different from one another.”

Read Emily's Story