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Dr. Robert Teranishi Inspires UH Audience

Dr. Robert Teranishi, Principal Investigator for the National Commission on Asian American & Pacific Islander Research in Education, spoke to a group of educators at the UH College of Education. He highlighted results from co-investigative research on Asian American, Native American, Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) -- minority-serving institutions that enroll 75% of the nation's low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. The project utilized a collaborative research approach to help AANAPISIs realize the full degree-earning potential of AAPI students by capturing and monitoring data to identify promising practices, implement targeted interventions, and mobilize campus leaders.

In addition to discussing the history and current status of the AANAPISI program, Teranishi discussed implications for the University of Houston, which is a designated AANAPISI.  He addressed best practices in supporting and measuring student success and how institutions have leveraged their status and funding to improve student outcomes.

“Dr. Teranishi's presentation brought close attention to upcoming federal grant opportunities available to minority-serving institutions like the University of Houston, and the importance of disaggregated student data," said Gayle Curtis, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Asian American Studies Center. "We came away inspired to pursue funding that will enable UH to better serve its diverse student population and to further support student outcomes from enrollment to graduation.”

"Dr. Teranishi is a pre­eminent scholar and influential expert in this field," said Yali Zou, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and Director of the UH Asian American Studies Center.  "He engaged the audience in meaningful dialogue about how our university can best support our students' academic excellence."

Teranishi was appointed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to the U.S. Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission.

Below is a slide show of photos from the event: