Asian American Community Leadership Awards and RAISE Awards Held June 8

By Leslie Blair • June 22, 2016

CLA honorees Paul Kim, Victoria Li and Rashed Ismal celebrated with family and friends at the Asian American Resource Center.

UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves and Vice President Gregory J. Vincent presented two Community Leadership Circle Awards, a Community Partnership Award, and the Legacy Award on June 8 at the City of Austin’s Asian American Resource Center. For the second consecutive year, the UT Austin Asian and Asian American Faculty/Staff Association presented their RAISE Excellence Awards at the Community Leadership Award (CLA) event.

CLA honorees included:

Mr. Rashed T. Islam, vice president of HDR Engineering, Community Leadership Circle
Mr. Paul Kim, CEO of ATX Environmental Solutions Community Leadership Circle
Refugee Services of Texas, Community Partnership Award
Ms. Victoria Li, national executive director of Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association (APAPA), Legacy Award

honoree photo — Erica Schmidt, Austin area director for Refugee Services of Texas, accepts the Community Partnership Award from President Gregory L. Fenves and Vice President Gregory J. Vincent.

photo of honorees — Honorees Paul Kim, Victoria Li and Rashed Ismal joined family and friends at the Asian American Resource Center at the Sixth Annual Community Leadership Awards ceremony.

RAISE Excellence Award winners:

Mihyun Lim, Outstanding Student
Dr. Aloysius K. Mok, Computer Science Department, Outstanding Faculty
Justin Samuel, Division of Housing and Food Services, Outstanding Staff

CLA 70 — Division of Housing and Food Services staff member Justin Samuel was honored by AAAFSA with a RAISE Award. Samuel celebrates with Dr. Soncia Reagens-Lilly (second from left), interim vice president for student affairs, and other members of the Student Affairs staff.

In his remarks at the event, Dr. Vincent said, “The Community Leadership Awards provide us an opportunity to celebrate organizations and individuals who have worked toward closing the poverty, educational, and opportunity gaps in the fight for economic equality.” Both Islam and Li are alumni of the Cockrell School of Engineering. All CLA honorees have been active in numerous civic and educational organizations.