Update: AAAYA's Advocacy for the AACC

Dear Fellow Yalies,

Last year, AAAYA sent a strong, united message to Yale College leadership: the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) deserves dedicated support and resourcing. You can read the full text of our original letter here: [Click here to access]

At the time, AACC Director Dean Joliana Yee’s duties were expanded by Yale’s leadership to simultaneously develop, launch and oversee an inaugural standalone space for the Middle Eastern and North African student community at Yale. This expansion of Dean Yee’s role stretched capacity and support across two growing communities. 

While we are proud of how Dean Yee and the AACC's support led to the newly established Middle Eastern and North African Cultural Community Suite (MENACC https://mena.yale.edu/), AAAYA advocated for a better structure that fully honors the needs of both AACC and MENA students, and today we’re thrilled to share some great news.

Yale College has acted decisively with the appointment of the inaugural Director of Student Engagement, Iman Ali, Ph.D. (formerly known as Wafa Hozien) to provide more dedicated professional support for MENA students alongside the inaugural MENACC Assistant Director, Lena Ginawi.

Dr. Ali brings over two decades of leadership in student affairs, cultural programming, and inclusive education across a variety of higher education institutions. A dedicated advocate for underrepresented communities, she has led national and international initiatives focused on equity, multicultural communication, and student empowerment. She holds degrees from Pennsylvania State University (Ph.D.), Seton Hall University (M.A.), Rutgers University (M.A.), and William Paterson University (B.A.). Her scholarly and professional work focuses on building inclusive structures of belonging—especially for first-generation, BIPOC, and MENA-identifying students—through student affairs administration, inclusive pedagogy, and culturally responsive programming. This appointment strengthens support for the MENA community and allows the center to grow with intention.

Most importantly, this shift allows Dean Yee to fully devote her attention to the AACC once again. Her focus, energy, and leadership remain central to advancing the Center’s mission and supporting AAPI student life on Yale’s campus.

AAAYA is proud of what our collective advocacy has achieved. We are grateful to our alumni community for speaking up, staying engaged, and pushing for what our student communities need to thrive at Yale. This is proof that when we show up together, we can make a real impact.

In Community,

AAAYA