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QUEENS WEEKLY, APRIL 12, 2020
Son of Chinese immigrants appointed president at Queens College
BY BILL PARRY
The incoming president
at Queens College is an academician
who believes in
“bridge-building and cooperation
on every level,” and
celebrating diversity.
Frank H. Wu, 53, was
unanimously appointed the
11th president at Queens
College by the CUNY Board
of Directors, effective July
1, becoming the first Asian-
American to serve in that
role. “I have been flattered
when headhunters approached
but I was always
comfortable where I was,”
Wu said. “But when I heard
Queens College was searching
for a new president I
said, ‘This is the one school
for me. This specific place is
meant for me.’ I wanted to be
president of Queens College.
I can’t wait to get there and
become a part of the community,
the students, the faculty,
the staff and the stakeholders.”
The son of Chinese immigrants,
Wu grew up in
Detroit, Michigan, watching
gritty New York films such
as “Dog Day Afternoon,”
“Serpico,” “The French Connection”
and “The Taking
of Pelham 1, 2, 3.” He always
wanted to be a New Yorker
himself.
“And I remember when
President Gerald Ford told
New York City to drop dead,”
Wu said. “And then New
York City went through a
renaissance and the single
biggest factor that propelled
New York City back to the
top was immigration. People
from every corner of the
world were drawn to John F.
Kennedy’s Beacon of Hope.
That’s how my parents got
here. They believed in higher
learning. The American
Dream is tied to learning. To
better educate yourself.”
Wu has made a career
of breaking barriers and
creating opportunities for
student success. He was the
first Asian-American on the
faculty of the law school at
historically black Howard
University and he spent a
decade serving Gallaudet
University, which offers
higher education to deaf and
hearing-impaired students.
Most recently, Wu has been
a Distinguished Professor at
the University of California
Hastings College of the Law
but he is ready for the crosscountry
move.
“The entire world is represented
by the immigrant
community in New York
City but in Queens particularly.
You have all of these
folks with completely different
cultural backgrounds all
becoming New Yorkers and
I needed to be a part of this.
It’s magical and it’s happening
in Queens, and it’s happening
at Queens College,
the heart of the borough.”
Congresswoman Grace
Meng, who represents Flushing
— where the Queens College
campus is located — is
looking forward to working
with Wu in his new capacity.
“I have known Frank Wu
for several years and I am
honored to congratulate him
as we enter this new and exciting
chapter of Queens College,”
Meng said. “Queens
College does extraordinary
work in preparing students
for their futures. It continues
to be a beacon of higher education,
and I am confident
that under Frank Wu’s leadership,
the institution’s success
will soar even higher. I
am also pleased to congratulate
Frank Wu for making
history by becoming the first
Asian American president at
Queens College.”
State Senator Toby Ann
Stavisky concurred.
“As the chair of the Senate
Higher Education Committee,
I am delighted by the
appointment of new Queens
College President, Professor
Frank H. Wu. Queens College
is a gem of public higher
education, and I am proud to
be its state senator,” Stavisky
said. “Professor Wu’s resume
speaks for itself, and I am
proud to see the first Asian-
American appointed president
of a college in Queens.
I look forward to meeting
with Professor Wu in the
coming days to discuss ways
the state can help ensure
Queens College continues to
provide accessibility and a
top-quality education for its
student body.”
Wu and his wife will live
in Kew Garden Hills within
walking distance of the campus.
His July 1 starting date
should coincide with the
borough’s recovery from the
coronavirus pandemic.
“This moment is unprecedented.
This is unlike any
other experience we’ve ever
had,” Wu said. “I want to
present a way forward and
it’s all about resiliency. We
will roll up our shirtsleeves
and ask how we can help
when we come out on the
other side of this.”
Incoming Queens College President Frank Wu says he needed
to be a part of the borough’s immigrant success story.
Photo via Queens College
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