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To: Administrative Officers, Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, Faculty, Vice Chancellors and Vice Provosts
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Dear Colleagues, |
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I am pleased to announce the reappointment of Professor Shannon Speed to a second term as the Director of the American Indian Studies Center (AISC), effective July 1, 2021. |
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The recent administrative review noted: “Dr. Shannon Speed has sustained academic excellence, managed and administered the AISC and its resources with skill and foresight, and engaged in new and exciting forms of collaboration across the campus and in the larger Los Angeles community. Dr. Speed also successfully won multiple grants and launched new development strategies, all the while responding quickly and compassionately to the challenges faced by UCLA students, staff, and faculty. Her tenure as director stands out for its generous support of faculty and student research: her emphasis has been to foster others’ research success through the Center. The AISC is a collaborative and supportive community, thanks in no small part to Director Speed.” |
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Among her many accomplishments, Professor Speed recently served as the President of the Native and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA), the leading international scholarly organization for this area of study. She not only brought NAISA’s annual conference to Los Angeles, but also has been instrumental in promoting the global dimensions of Native and Indigenous studies. At the same time, Dr. Speed’s deep commitment to local communities and issues was reflected in her coalition-building and leadership around the passage of Indigenous People’s Day in the City of Los Angeles, the largest U.S. city to adopt such a designation. Professor Speed’s vision for the AISC, moreover, has been inclusive and supportive of the increasingly collaborative work across UCLA’s ethnic studies centers that are part of the Institute of American Cultures. |
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I am grateful to Professor Speed for her on-going leadership as the director of the American Indian Studies Center and know that she will continue to serve the AISC community with distinction. |
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Sincerely,
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David K. Yoo
Vice Provost
Institute of American Cultures
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