Interim Senior Advisor on Equity and Belonging and Assistant Dean of Multicultural Affairs
As a first-generation, low-income student raised by a single Vietnam refugee mother, and an Oakland, she brings a unique perspective to her work by sharing her lived experiences and connecting with students through a trauma-informed lens. She centers her philosophy in honoring student and staff voices and shows the care and concern for them holistically as the core of our work as Student Affairs professionals.
She is passionate about improving diversity and equity initiatives through effective training methods and cross-dialogue, leadership development and succession planning, and strategies to create meaningful connections. She contributes over 10 years of experience in higher education. Lien earned a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Ethnic Studies at Saint Mary’s College, a Master’s in Education with a concentration in Equity and Social Justice at San Francisco State University, and earned her doctoral degree at Mills College in Educational Leadership. Her dissertation focuses on understanding how trauma impacts college womxn of color’s sense of self and sense of identity. You can read more about her reflection in her “truth-telling series” here