The Rise of Chinese American Leaders in U.S. Higher Education: Stories and Roadmaps

2025 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Honorable Mention

This book is a collection of stories and reflections that represent Chinese American leaders and depict their tortuous journeys in U.S. higher education that comes at a critical point in time. Many books have been devoted to academic leadership, but this volume uniquely focuses on subjects most relevant to Chinese Americans. We live at a time that not only witnesses an increase in Chinese American leaders on U.S. campuses but also mounting incidents of discriminatory treatment of this group. This book showcases 36 stories and reflections from past, present, and future leaders, including the five previously published stories. They represent leaders holding different ideological values in various academic fields, positions, stages of careers, professional trajectories, generations, Chinese ethnic groups, and geographical locations. The Rise of Chinese American Leaders in U.S. Higher Education makes a valuable contribution to the body of literature that has assisted countless academicleaders in navigating their careers, bringing to the forefront a distinct group of academic leaders who have been underrepresented.