Asian American Scholar Forum Executive Director Joins Over 1,300 Higher Education Leaders and Scholars to Speak on Policy Issues Impacting Higher Education and Research

April 30, 2026

This month, Asian American Scholar Forum Executive Director Gisela Perez Kusakawa joined national leaders in higher education, policy, and advocacy as a featured speaker at the 2026 Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE) National Conference, held April 12–14, in Anaheim, California and the Asian American Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern and North African (AAPI / MENA) Women in Legal Academy Workshop, held April 24 in at the RWU Law Bristol Campus in Rhode Island.

These conferences brought together over 1,300 leaders, professors, faculty, administrators, and scholars from universities, law schools, and community colleges across the country, including Hawaii and the Marianas Islands. Through its participation, the Asian American Scholar Forum continues to deepen relationships with higher education leaders, faculty (including in the humanities and law), and administrators to shape the future of the U.S. research and education landscape. We also continued to expand our work to expand legal education.

Dr. Rowena M. Tomaneng, Ed.D., California Community Colleges, Deputy Chancellor, speaks to the conference participants as APAHE Board President.

Kusakawa participated in the panel, Legacies in Action: Courageous Advocacy for AANHPI Equity in Higher Education, moderated by APAHE Board President Rowena M. Tomaneng, Ed.D., California Community Colleges, Deputy Chancellor, and spoke alongside fellow panelists Thu Nguyen, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, Executive Director; Gregg Orton, The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), National Director; and Dr. Karthick Ramakrishnan, AAPI Data, UC Berkeley, Executive Director.

Panelists from left to right: The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) National Director Gregg Orton, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates Executive Director Thu Nguyen, AAPI Data/UC Berkeley Executive Director Dr. Karthick Ramakrishnan, Asian American Scholar Forum Executive Director Gisela Perez Kusakawa, and Deputy Chancellor of California Community Colleges Rowena M. Tomaneng, Ed.D.

The session discussed that as federal policies shift across education, immigration, health access, and civil rights, AANHPI communities face renewed uncertainty alongside long-standing inequities, and how coordinated advocacy, policy analysis, and community education transform legacies of resistance into action across higher education and related sectors.

The APAHE National Conference, themed Legacies in Action: Courage and Resilience, focused on advancing educational opportunities, supporting faculty and leadership pathways, and fostering a deeper understanding of the issues affecting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in higher education. The event featured sessions on leadership, advocacy, and the future of higher education, with an emphasis on building systems that support long-term success.

AASF Executive Director Gisela Kusakawa and Dr. Kirin Macapugay, Commissioner for the CA Commission on APIA Affairs.

The Fifth Annual AAPI and MENA Women in the Legal Academy Workshopbrought together Asian American Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern and North African women professors, scholars,, and aspiring legal academics. The workshop provided space for the development of ongoing legal scholarship and for dialogue on shared challenges and best practices in the legal academy.

AASF Executive Director Gisela Kusakawa with panel presenter Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt, Professor, Department of English, and Director of Critical Ethnic Studies, and conference planning committee member Elaine Chiu, Professor of Law, St. John’s University School of Law.

Kusakawa presented on a Plenary Session panel “Attacks on Academic Freedom” with Veena Dubal, Professor of Law, UC Irvine, and Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt, Professor, Department of English and Director of Critical Ethnic Studies. Her session explored the challenges higher education faces in defending academic freedom and the implications this has on protections of societal rights.

Together, these engagements reflect AASF’s continued commitment to elevating the voices of scholars and researchers, strengthening academic leadership networks, and ensuring that policies and institutions support America’s future and education.