Stories of Leadership, Identity, and the American Experience
Monday, November 16, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:30 PM & 5:00 – 6:30 PM
1101 AJC – Clark Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park
Live Stream or In Person
Join the Asian American Scholar Forum for an inspiring event featuring prominent trailblazers in media and public service, exploring career journeys, leadership, and the experiences that shaped their success.
Hear from Maryland State Delegate and author Lily Qi and award-winning journalist and filmmaker Richard Lui as they share career insights, lessons learned, and personal stories of perseverance, ambition, and breaking barriers. Discover how they built successful careers, navigated challenges, and found opportunities to make a meaningful impact.
Those who can join in person will enjoy a free lunch during the book talk. There will also be free books for the first attendees!
We will have free boba and snacks during the afternoon film screening and conversation with Richard Lui.
Join us to connect with scholars, professionals, and community members for an afternoon of inspiration, networking, and career insights.
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
An Extraordinary Journey: A Book Talk with Lily Qi
What does it mean to find your voice, build a new life, and become a leader in American democracy? Join Maryland State Delegate Lily Qi for a compelling discussion of her memoir, Elected American: From Red China to Blue Maryland. Her remarkable journey began during China’s Cultural Revolution, led her to the United States as an international student, and eventually led her a the Maryland General Assembly.
Through her personal story, Delegate Qi offers a unique perspective on immigration, identity, belonging, and the evolving role of Asian Americans in civic life.
Attendees will gain insights into the challenges and opportunities of navigating cultures, building community, and creating meaningful change.
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
A Special Film Screening with Richard Lui
Storytelling can build empathy, challenge assumptions, and bring important experiences into focus. Join award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and author Richard Lui for a special film screening and an opportunity to explore how personal experiences can inspire powerful stories and broader conversations.
Drawing on his distinguished journalism career and a decade of experience as a family caregiver, Lui has brought important, often overlooked stories to audiences nationwide. His documentary filmmaking highlights the human experiences behind some of society’s most pressing challenges.
Moderator: Min Wu
Min Wu is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she holds the Christine Yurie Kim Eminent Professorship in Information Technology. An internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Wu leads the Media, Analytics, and Security Team, advancing research in information security, multimedia signal processing, data science, and machine learning. She is a Fellow of IEEE, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Inventors. Her leadership roles have included President of the IEEE Signal Processing Society and Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Signal Processing Magazine. As AASF’s DMV Regional Program Chair, Dr. Wu helps strengthen connections among scholars and the broader community in the Capital Region.
About Lily Qi
Lily Qi has served in the Maryland General Assembly since 2019, thirty years after arriving in the United States alone as an international student. As the only U.S. state legislator who lived through China’s Cultural Revolution, she brings a rare perspective to discussions of identity, belonging, civic engagement, and the American experience. A longtime cultural broker, she is a leading voice on Asian American representation, immigrant civic participation, and election reform. Her memoir, Elected American: From Red China to Blue Maryland, was a Politics & Prose nonfiction bestseller and a finalist for the New American Voices Award. Her story and work have been featured in The Washington Post, NPR, The Wire China, FOX 5 DC, Washingtonian, and other national and international media.
About Richard Lui
Richard Lui is a Peabody and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist with more than 30 years of experience in media, technology, and business, including two decades with NBCUniversal News Group and CNN Worldwide. His personal experience caring for his parents, who have faced Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, inspired his work as a documentary filmmaker. He has directed two Oscar-qualifying films focused on caregiving and is developing additional films exploring caregiving and medical innovation. Beyond journalism, Lui works at the intersection of caregiving, technology, and social impact. He serves as an AARP Caregiving Champion, Alzheimer’s Association Celebrity Champion, and advocate for families navigating caregiving challenges.
Join the Conversation
The AASF DMV Regional Forum is an opportunity to connect with distinguished leaders, hear extraordinary personal stories, and explore how Asian American voices and experiences are shaping our communities and our nation.
Reserve your spot today and join us for this special gathering at the University of Maryland.
Participation link will be shared with registered attendees.