Subject:

Appointment of K. Wayne Yang as Provost of John Muir College

It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, K. Wayne Yang as Provost of John Muir College, effective July 16, 2018.

Dr. Yang has provided outstanding leadership as Acting Provost of Muir College since September 2017. In this role he presided over the celebrations for the College's 50th Anniversary, which included presentations by Dr. Irwin Jacobs, founder of Qualcomm and founding faculty of Muir College, and by co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, Dolores Huerta. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Dr. Yang as he takes on the long-term role, working with Muir College faculty and staff to enrich the student experience and develop student leaders capable of solving the most pressing problems of their generation.

A member of the Ethnic Studies faculty since 2006, Dr. Yang has a demonstrated record of commitment to undergraduate education, educational access, and equity, diversity and inclusion. He has served as Interim Director of the Sixth College Academic Programs, and Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Ethnic Studies. He has served on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion graduation requirement standing committee, the Council of Undergraduate Education, and was recently appointed to the Educational Policy Committee. Dr. Yang is also a recipient of the Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award, and is actively engaged with planning for the newly proposed Climate Change Studies Minor.

Dr. Yang has 26 years of experience as an educator, sixteen in K-12 urban schools. His research examines community organizing for school reform and efforts at self-determination in urban settings. Dr. Yang draws upon his practical experiences as a member of Oakland Unified School District’s Office of School Reform, as the co-founder of East Oakland Community High School, and as the co-founder of the Avenues Project, a youth development non-profit organization. Some of his community collaborations include the Land Relationships Super Collective, the Black Teacher Project, and Roses in Concrete. With his frequent collaborator Eve Tuck, he is the co-editor of the journal Critical Ethnic Studies, and the book series, Indigenous and Decolonizing Studies in Education.

Please join us in congratulating Provost K. Wayne Yang on his appointment.

Pradeep K. Khosla Chancellor Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor