05.01.18 - Gacapaa

2018 Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on
Asian Pacific American Affairs Honorees in Celebration of Asian

American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Yadu Acharya (Harrisburg) is the Executive Director of Organization for Hindu Religion
and Culture, Harrisburg. He is overseeing the important community activities like
community hall and temple construction project, Nepali Education and Afterschool help
program among many others. Before this, Mr. Acharya was the Chairman of the same
non-profit organization, that is Organization for Hindu Religion and Culture for two
consecutive terms.
Born in Bhutan, Mr. Acharya had to flee the country to Nepal for fear of political
persecution. Mr. Acharya spent 16 years in refugee camp where he continued his
education and attained master’s Degree in Sociology. Mr. Acharya entered the US in
2008 through the Durable Solution of Resettlement Program for the refugees. Mr.
Acharya lives in Harrisburg. He is one of the central social figures among the resettled
refugee community and has helped thousands of people in their resettlement and
adjustment efforts in the US.
Richard Choi (Harrisburg) was born in South Korean in 1969 and immigrated to the
United States in November 1989. Upon arriving in the U.S., he studied at the Harrisburg
Area Community College and later transferred to Messiah College with a concentration
in business. After graduating from Messiah College, he started a computer business
which was located in Harrisburg on 3rd Street. In 1996, he opened Valley Market and
Sayford Supermarkets in the Central PA region. He currently owns a Korean restaurant
in the Broad Street Market. He has been serving the Korean American community in
several capacities and is an officer in the Korean American Business Association.
Natasha Cohen-Carroll (Philadelphia) is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Mustard

Seed Film Festival, the first South Asian film festival in Philadelphia. Natasha is
documentary filmmaker, photographer and teacher. She has explored subjects as varied
as stretchmarks, family lore, dancing monks, community activism, workers sand prison
abolition.
Through her art and through Mustard Seed, she seeks to bring underrepresented stories
to Philadelphia. Currently, she is teaching filmmaking to teens in West Philly, and is filming
her own documentary on the hyper drag scene in Philadelphia.
Lan Dinh (Philadelphia) is the Farm Projects Director for VietLEAD. She is responsible
for developing and delivering youth curriculum and program activities, and building the
existing community garden into a community food project. Lan has over eight years of
experience teaching healthy cooking, nutrition, gardening, and food justice to youth,
adults, and communities. Previously, she was an Assistant Farm Manager and Instructor
at the University of California Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food
Systems and a Youth Organizer for the Urban Nutrition Initiative in Philadelphia.
Ms. Dinh received her Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Societies with a Concentration in
International Health & Nutrition from the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA in
2011 and a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture from the UCSC Center for Agroecology
& Sustainable Food Systems in October of 2013.
Randy Duque (Philadelphia) is the Deputy Director for the Philadelphia Commission on
Human Relations (PCHR) in which he oversees the operations of the Community
Relations Division. As an expert in conflict resolution and management. Randy Duque’s
education and experience covers a full spectrum of conflict theory and practice. He
received his master’s degree in Applied Communication and Conflict Processes through
the School of Allied Health Professions at Temple University; is a practitioner and
instructor in a traditional style of Kung Fu and student of Filipino martial arts; is a past
president for the Association for Conflict Resolution – Greater Philadelphia Chapter; and
currently serves as an infantryman with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Eiko Fan Takahira (Philadelphia) moved from Tokyo in 1970, at age 18, to study
sculpture at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and University of Pennsylvania. Finding
better sources of wood here for her work than In Japan and freedom to create, she stayed
in Philadelphia. Her main tool is a chain saw. She created a wood costume performance
called “Live Wood Sculpture’”. Dancers and musicians made her sculptures come alive.
Her children grew up performing with her.
Eiko has taught sculpture and art at the Form in Art program for the visually impaired at
the Philadelphia Museum of Art and at the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy
for over 30 years. Her motto has always been, “Art is food, everybody needs it”. Eiko finds
many ways to make art possible for all people. She has told her students’ stories in
documentary films.
Bhim Gurung (Pittsburgh) moved to the United States from Bhutan as a refugee. He is
committed to providing civic education to older Bhutanese refugee adults to prepare them
for their naturalization exam. He consistently provides tutorial services on weekends to
Bhutanese elders and is passionate about civic education and engagement.
Donald Hahn (State College) was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, on October 20,
1964. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 1987 and the Villanova
Law School in 1992, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1992. He practices
before the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and the Western Districts of Pennsylvania
and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Don served his community on the State College Community Development Block Grant
Citizen Advisory Committee, the Community Land Trust Board of Directors, the Planning
Commission, the Redevelopment Authority and on Borough Council for 3 terms. In the
last two elections, in 2005 and 2009, he won by over 1000 votes each time. He is
currently serving as Mayor of State College, having been elected in 2017 by 900 votes.
Don lives with his wife, Cynthia, and family. His stepchildren are Lauren and Adam.
Shongchai Hang (Philadelphia) serves as a Lao/Hmong/Thai Interpreter for SEAMAAC,

as well as community leader and Pastor. Last year he was the winner of the AARP Asian
American Pacific Islander Community’s 2017 Hero Awards contest.
Ellen Hartman’s (Harrisburg) greatest passion is education. Originally from

Philadelphia, she moved to Central Pennsylvania to pursue her career. She graduated
from Dickinson College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and her PA Teaching License,
and taught at Cumberland Valley High School, John Harris High School, Hershey High
School, and Commonwealth Charter Academy. She continued her education with the
Pennsylvania State University to obtain a Master of Arts in Humanities and a certification
in Educational Leadership. After thirteen years as a teacher, she became the Head of
School at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in 2017. A private school located in the heart
of Harrisburg City, St. Stephen’s Episcopal School serves a diverse population of
students who reflect the Greater Harrisburg Area.
Ellen is a community leader committed to equity initiatives. She created and chaired the
Diversity and Inclusion Council of Commonwealth Charter Academy, providing
professional development to educators on equity issues for students. Ellen will be
presenting at the National Teacher Leadership Conference this summer on “Cutting the
School-to-Prison Pipeline through Restorative Justice and Positive Behavioral
Supports.” In addition, she serves on two non-profit boards and remains active in the city
of Harrisburg, bringing equity issues to light through her service.
Scott “CHOPS” Jung (Philadelphia) is known by his stage name CHOPS and is an
Asian American hip hop producer, rapper, and former members of the Asian American
Hip-Hop group, the Mountain Brothers. While with the Mountain Brothers, he became
known for using a combination of programmed and live instruments in his works, as
opposed to sampling the work of others. Since the disbanding of the Mountain Brothers,
CHOPS has worked primarily as a producer, with his most high-profile piece being the
critically acclaimed 2011 video for Lonely Island entitled “The Creep.”
Hariprasad Kowtha (Philadelphia) is the Program Director and co-founder of Mustard

Seed Film Festival, the first and only film festival in Philadelphia centering South Asian
stories and storytellers. He is interested in the intersection between racial justice and
harm reduction; he started a People of Color meditation group at the Shambhala Center
in Philadelphia. He also teaches yoga and mindfulness, and he facilitates leadership
workshops using kinesthetic and aural techniques. He has a cat named Hamburger.
Meera Kumar (Erie) was born and raised in Trivandrum, India but has lived in Erie, PA
for the past 36 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Kerala University and MBA
from Gannon University. Meera is married to Ajith Kumar, a consulting engineer at GE
and has two daughters and 2 grandchildren. She currently holds the position of President
of the Erie Asian Pacific American Association and has overseen the planning of many
events including co-chairing 5 Asian Festivals. She is also a member of the Celebrate
Erie Cultural Team.
Previously, Meera was President and member of the planning committee of the India
Association of Greater Erie, member of the Celebrate Erie Heritage Hall planning
committee, for which she received a commendation from former Erie Mayor, Rick Filippi
in 2005. Meera was also part of the Arts Erie Culture Spark Steering Committee, a group
facilitator in Cross Cultural Conversations, represented India in the planning of Erie’s
Bicentennial Parade, among many other cultural events and programs in the Erie area.
Sabrina Liu (Pittsburgh) was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, and came to the United
States to pursue her Masters of Public and International Affairs at the University of
Pittsburgh. She currently works as a Strategic Researcher and Campaigner at the United
Steelworkers. She is also the Founder of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
(APALA) in Pittsburgh.
Diana Lu (Philadelphia) serves as the Community Engagement Editor for PlanPhilly,

WHYY’s news site on urbanism and the built environment. She has spent more than ten
years in the non-profit and public sectors working on community and economic
development, environmental justice, and urban manufacturing. Previously Diana worked
at the Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia as the Director of Partnerships and Outreach for
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses.
Diana first got to know Pennsylvania’s Asian American community when she worked as
the Main Street Manager for the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation. It was
in Chinatown that she began collaborating with many colleagues and friends on projects
with Asian Arts Initiative, the Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival, and the Asian
American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia. Diana currently volunteers with
two local API organizations: hotpot! philly and the Asian Mosaic Fund. Diana grew up in
Monterey Park, California, the only city in the continental United States with a majority
Asian American population. Her work has been recognized by the National League of
Cities, the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, and California State Assembly Member Judy
Chu (now Congresswoman). Diana holds a Masters in City Planning from the University
of Pennsylvania School of Design.
Dương Nghệ Lý (Philadelphia) is currently a Youth Projects Director for our

Philadelphia office. Duong has nearly four years of experience working with high-school
youth. Dương graduated from the University of Pennsylvania studying Sociology with a
concentration on Structural Opportunities and Inequality and minoring in Asian American
Studies. Dương has received awards for his work in activism and community engagement
as a high school and college student, including the Heroes of the Year award (as a co-
recipient, by Philadelphia Magazine, 2010); the Princeton Prize in Race Relations (by
Princeton University, 2011); the Freedom from Fear Award (as a co-recipient, by Public
Interest Projects, 2011); the Hope for Future Generations award (by Philadelphia
Magazine, 2011); the Undergraduate Rising Leader Award (by the Penn Pan-Asian
American Community House, 2012); and the Community Involvement award (by the Penn
Pan-Asian American Community House, 2013). As an undergraduate as Penn, he
completed a capstone research project laying out a theoretical framework on youth
political development for BPSOS-Delaware Valley and testing its effectiveness through
interviews and surveys.
Dr. Aziz A Majid (Harrisburg) - Leadership is a common term, to be a good leader, one
has to possess certain characteristics which one learns from experience. One such
person in our community is Dr. Aziz Majid. He came to this country some 4 decades ago
with only $200.00 in his pocket with positive outlook, open mindedness, dedication and
sheer hard work Dr. Majid secured his dental degree D.M.D. from Tufts University,
Massachusetts and master's degree M.S.D. from Indiana. He then moved to Harrisburg
where he has been practicing, specializing in Prosthodontics. Prosthodontics
encompasses cosmetic and other restorative procedures making him an expert in
providing smile makeovers with true precision and diligence for results that are pristine.
Many times, over the years, he has put himself aside and contributed to the community
by participating in the free clinic for many years and also conducting clinics each year for
treating the underprivileged.
Sheela Jane Menon (Carlisle) is Assistant Professor of English at Dickinson College.

Her research centers on questions of race and identity in Malaysian literature and culture
and her teaching spans Asian American, Postcolonial, and World Literature. Her current
book project maps the contradictions of Malaysian multiculturalism through integrated
readings of Indigenous activism alongside Malaysian literature, film, theatre, and political
rhetoric. Her writing on Malaysian politics has been published by The Conversation and
The Malaysian Insider. Her research and teaching are informed by her upbringing in
Malaysia, Singapore, and Honolulu.
Satvika Neti (she/her/hers) (Pittsburgh) embraces the hyphen and works to bridge the
gap between technology and social impact. Satvika currently serves as the Women and
Girls Foundation’s (WGF) resident digital social justice advocate, where she leads efforts
to mobilize members and supporters to take action to break down barriers women and
girls. She also manages production of WGF’s Femisphere app, a digital tool to connect
single mothers to the resources they need to thrive in their communities. Prior to joining
WGF, Satvika worked with NovaKultura and interned with the Society for Science and the
Public, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Center for American Progress,
and the ACLU.
Satvika is a founding member of Rangoli, an initiative created to amplify the voices of the
South Asian LGBTQ+ community in Pittsburgh and she also currently serves on Mayor
Peduto’s LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council. As a student at Carnegie Mellon University,
Satvika organized the first social impact category at TartanHacks, the largest hackathon
in the country, to incentivize technology solutions to address rape culture and the
bystander effect. In 2013, she also co-founded WE Education, a community-driven skills
education program dedicated to creating neighborhood-based change makers. Satvika
Neti is a 2016 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science in
International Relations and Politics and a double minor in Computer Science and Policy
and Management.
Mrs. Pratima Pathak (Harrisburg)- Born in Tanzania, Pratima has demonstrated grace
and grit and is a community role model on how as an adult immigrant learner one can
become a contributing member of the society while creating a productive environment for
the entire family to flourish. At an early age, she wanted to be a nurse, but the opportunity
did not present itself until later in life. Her daughter motivated her by telling to “go ahead,
this is a country of dreamers” and she went on to finish her nursing degree at HACC’s
Gettysburg campus, achieving the Dean’s List and other high honors. She earned her
Associates degree in nursing at the age of 54 and has worked for Holy Spirit Hospital and
at various state agencies since then. She gains tremendous satisfaction caring for others
and is an example of what hard work and perseverance can achieve.
Mr. Daniel Peou (Philadelphia) is the first and only principal of Cambodian descent in
the state of Pennsylvania. He is the proud principal of the School District of Philadelphia’s
Horace H. Furness High School, a neighborhood high school of 700 students in South
Philadelphia. He attended Furness as a child refugee and ESOL student in the
early1980’s. Mr. Peou began his career with the School District of Philadelphia 22 years
ago as a Bilingual Counseling Assistant while pursuing his post-secondary education. He
was promoted to a teaching position after earning his undergraduate degree. He has
since held leadership positions including School Climate Manager, Elementary School
Principal, High School Assistant Principal and Principal. Mr. Peou is a tireless advocate
on behalf of Philadelphia’s diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. His
dedicated efforts have expanded language, educational and cultural access to often
marginalized groups. A recent graduate wrote:
“I’m still in shock that last year our Philadelphia neighborhood high school chose me, a
Muslim Bengali girl, as their senior class president out of everyone else, but that is the
kind of environment that Mr. Peou fosters. Every current and past student has properly
learned what it means to be different individually, but value others’ differences and accept
each other fairly in the building. This man has created a positive atmosphere through his
powerful, inspiring, and impeccable commitment to ensure everyone's safety and best
always. Furness is a place where students can grow academically, culturally, emotionally
and socially.”
Rakayat Alam
Senior Class President of 2017
Tanh Quach (Harrisburg) was born and raised in Binh Duong, Vietnam until she and her
parents immigrated to the United States in 2001. They spent a few a months living in Los
Angeles and Boston, before moving to Lancaster and making it their home for the past
16 years. She recently graduated from Millersville University in 2017, where she studied
Accounting, Finance, and Management. She currently works as an Accountant in the
Small Business Services Group at RKL LLP.
Outside of work, she enjoys going to the temple with her parents, volunteering, catching
up with friends, and of course, studying and preparing for the CPA exam. Whenever she
has the opportunity to travel, Vietnam is her favorite go-to destination. One day, she also
hopes to visit Singapore, India, and Dubai.
Cat Ramirez (Philadelphia) is a director, deviser, and producer born and raised in the
Philly area. Cat has turned boiler rooms into dilapidated mansions poised to be
repossessed, bike shops into high schools where teenagers are first learning how to
articulate disenfranchisement, and bars into dreamscapes for queer love stories. Cat has
presented with SoLow Fest and has worked with Philadelphia Asian American Film
Festival, Shakespeare in Clark Park, and Philadelphia Young Playwrights among
others. They are the Season Producer for Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists (PAPA),
the Events Producer for Asian Arts Initiative, and the Company Manager for Orbiter 3. Cat
earned a B.A. from Vassar College in Drama and are an alum of the National New Play
Network Producer-In-Residence Program with InterAct Theatre Company and a recipient
of Bonaly Reviews’ Unsung Hero Award.
Stacy Schroeder (Harrisburg)- Stacy Schroeder strives to be an ally and is particularly

drawn to the Asian-American community because eight members of her family, including
two children, are Asian-American. In 2000, Stacy became involved with KAAN (the
Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network/ www.KAANet.org), a national
organization that works to improve the lives of Korean-born adoptees through dialogue,
education, and support. In 2010, she became the organization’s executive director. KAAN
holds annual conferences and provides ongoing social media information that addresses
issues of identity, race, current events, relationships, and more. In 2005, Stacy was also
one of the founders of Ta-ri (www.ta-ri.org), a south-central PA group that celebrates
Korean culture and community; she still serves as its executive director. Stacy treasures
all she has learned and all whom she has met in these roles. She also thanks the
Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs for its support as Ta-
ri got its start and for recognizing these groups today.
Mariam Shalaby (Pittsburgh) is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and

client services coordinator at the Food Pantry at the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, which
serves close to one hundred families across the Pittsburgh area. During her two and a
half years running the food pantry, Mariam has worked to diversify the client base by
providing new multilingual resources, implemented social services into the food pantry,
and introduced ESL classes to clients by partnering with the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy
Council. She is grateful for the opportunities she has had to make a difference in the
Pittsburgh community.
Toni Shapiro-Phim (Philadelphia) received a PhD in cultural anthropology from Cornell

University. Her dissertation, books and other publications focus on the history and cultural
context of dance and music in discrete regions of the world, particularly in relation to
violence, migration, conflict transformation and gender concerns. She’s held teaching and
research appointments at the University of California-Berkeley, Yale University and Bryn
Mawr College, and worked in Cambodian, Lao and Vietnamese refugee camps in
Indonesia and Thailand. She’s also conducted years of ethnographic research in
Cambodia. Co-author of Dance in Cambodia and co-editor of Dance, Human Rights and
Social Justice: Dignity in Motion, she has also contributed to Annihilating Difference: The
Anthropology of Genocide and The Choreography of Resolution: Conflict, Movement,
and Neuroscience, among other publications. Her latest book, Talking Dance: Stories
from the South China Sea, was published in 2016.
Toni serves as Director of Programs at the Philadelphia Folklore Project where she
conducts ethnographic research, curates exhibitions and produces performances,
humanities forums and publications highlighting aspects of the cultural practices of
Philadelphia’s diverse communities, including, most recently, Tibetan and Liberian. She
just completed her first documentary film, Because of the War, this year.
Jianyang Shi (Harrisburg) database manager at the Pennsylvania Department of

Transportation (PennDOT). He received his Bachelor’s degree from Nanjing University,
China, and Master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He moved to
Pennsylvania with his family in 2001.
Jianyang currently serves as the Board Chair of the Central Pennsylvania Chinese
Association (CPCA) where he works to organize social activities and promote Chinese
culture. Jianyang is also a member of the Harrisburg Chinese Alliance Church (HCAC)
where he teaches Sunday school.
Nandu Subedi (Erie) is Resettlement Team Leader at Catholic Charities Counseling and
Adoption Services, (CCCAS) an affiliates of United State Conference of Catholic Bishop
(USCCB) and Catholic Charities Inc, the Diocese of Erie PA. Nandu is a graduate of
Mechi Multiple Campus Nepal, where he received a BA in Humanities and Social Science.
After Graduation, Nandu lunched his career in a privately organized boarding school as
a teacher and later promoted to the Principle of the school.
He moved to United States in 2008 as a refugee from Bhutan. So many other families
joined Nandu in Erie where he took the leadership to form a non-profit community base
organization and served as the chair person for 2 years. Later in 2009, Nandu joined the
team of CCCAS and started serving the Refugee and other Immigrant population in Erie
area. He is still an active member of Bhutanese Community Association of Erie (BCAE)
where he serves the organization to introduce and connect with other AAPI communities
and organization.
Mrs. Suryakala Venkatadri (Harrisburg) - Suryakala Venkatadri (Sue) migrated to US

in early 80’s from South Indian city known as Hyderabad. She graduated from
Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Professional accounting. Since
then, she has been a steady Commonwealth employee for the past 20 years contributing
in areas of Finance and Budgeting. She currently works as Chief of Budget Division for
Department of Aging. She is passionate about her job being done with perfection and
timeliness. She also successfully completed and graduated from the Leadership
Development Institute program in 2014.
She has consistently exhibited strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the right
blend of professional and analytical skill sets combined with an easier pleasant
personality type that finds her peers, subordinates and managers always be glad to work
with her. As part of the of South Asian Community, she contributes in numerous ways
ranging from organizing broad based community events, fund raising and volunteering to
support individual needs.
Catzie Vilayphonh (Philadelphia) is a multimedia artist with a background in writing,

spoken word poetry, photography and filmmaking. She runs Laos in the House, a project
that promotes storytelling in the Lao American refugee community, and is a founding
member of the group Yellow Rage who were featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. Through
her work, Catzie provides an awareness not often heard, drawing from personal narrative.
She has worked on various artistic projects with partners such as Mural Arts Philadelphia,
Asian Arts Initiative, Smithsonian APIA Center, The Moth, Philadelphia Assembled and
Legacies of War.
Throughout her artistic career Catzie has been a recipient of awards from Pennsylvania
Council on the Arts as well as the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. She has been
a 2012 Creative Capital finalist, a four-time Leeway Foundation honoree, and was named
a 2016 Woman Non-Profit Leader by Philadelphia City Council. She is a co-founding chair
of the national Lao American Writers Summit, and was recently appointed to the Mayor’s
Commission on Asian American Affairs.
Shira Walinsky (Philadelphia) is a community-based artist and teacher. Shira has

worked on over thirty mural projects in the city of Philadelphia through Mural Arts Program
for the past sixteen years. She has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel
University, Moore College of Art and University of the Arts. She has shown her work at
Asian Arts Initiative and the recent Monument Lab. In 2012 she co- founded
Southeastbysoutheast a center for new refugees through Mural Arts Philadelphia in
partnership with the DBHIDS. At Southeastbysoutheast in the heart of South Philadelphia
art, mental health, literacy and social interaction all play a role in the well-being of
participants. Celebrating traditional arts and cuisine from a home country affirms identity
and creates new connections in the United States.
Since 2012 she has worked with the new Burmese and Bhutanese communities in
Philadelphia developing programs and teaching classes from ESL to photography and
writing. She has also worked on many murals celebrating the collective story of migration.
Shira is compelled by the possibilities of murals, literacy, photography, video and the
personal story. She has used these loves to work with all ages from high school students
to the elderly. In 2016 she created “I Am America” a short video of poems with refugee
teens. She has recently created a book with refugee and immigrant teens “We Made and
Will Make It: Untold Stories of Immigrant and Refugee Youth” and a photography book
with refugee women, “From Here to There: Picture Stories of Refugee Women’s Lives”.
Shira is currently continuing her work with Burmese and Bhutanese in South Philadelphia
and beginning photography and ESL programs with new Congolese communities in
South Philadelphia. In addition, she is working at Northeast High school on a poetry/
photography project with ESL students. Shira deeply believes in the role art and writing
can play in connecting us.

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2018 Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on

Asian Pacific American Affairs Honorees in Celebration of Asian

Natasha Cohen-Carroll (Philadelphia) is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Mustard

Shongchai Hang (Philadelphia) serves as a Lao/Hmong/Thai Interpreter for SEAMAAC,

Ellen Hartman’s (Harrisburg) greatest passion is education. Originally from

Hariprasad Kowtha (Philadelphia) is the Program Director and co-founder of Mustard

Diana Lu (Philadelphia) serves as the Community Engagement Editor for PlanPhilly,

Dương Nghệ Lý (Philadelphia) is currently a Youth Projects Director for our

Sheela Jane Menon (Carlisle) is Assistant Professor of English at Dickinson College.

Stacy Schroeder (Harrisburg)- Stacy Schroeder strives to be an ally and is particularly

Mariam Shalaby (Pittsburgh) is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and

Toni Shapiro-Phim (Philadelphia) received a PhD in cultural anthropology from Cornell

Jianyang Shi (Harrisburg) database manager at the Pennsylvania Department of

Mrs. Suryakala Venkatadri (Harrisburg) - Suryakala Venkatadri (Sue) migrated to US

Catzie Vilayphonh (Philadelphia) is a multimedia artist with a background in writing,

Shira Walinsky (Philadelphia) is a community-based artist and teacher. Shira has

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