In celebration of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) week, we interview Dr. Robert A. Underwood, a former member of the U.S. Congress (D-Guam, 1993-2003) and president of the University of Guam (2008-2018). He shares the origin story behind the designation, the significance of the AANAPISI program, and strategies to elevate the AANAPISI status in the U.S. higher education landscape.
In 2002, Dr. Underwood introduced H.R. 4825 to create an AAPI-serving institution designation to be housed in the U.S. Department of Education, along with other Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) Programs. The introduction of H.R. 4825 paved the way for the establishment of AANAPISI program in 2007.
