Janet Hyunju Clarke, associate dean of research and learning at Stony Brook University (SBU) Libraries, NY, was named a 2025 Library Journal Mover & Shaker for her campus-wide collaborations to create needed support and social systems for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. LJ spoke with Clarke about how SBU’s AAPI Mentorship Network and AAPI Heritages Committee have evolved and grown.

LJ: Can you talk a bit about what led up to your founding the two programs?

Janet Hyunju Clarke: Stony Brook University has a remarkably diverse student body, with AAPI students comprising about 40 percent—our largest minority population. At the height of the COVID pandemic and growing anti-Asian hate, especially in New York City where many of our students are from, my AAPI colleagues and I wanted to create a clear message to the these students that, while they may be experiencing or being exposed to racism and hate elsewhere, the University would be a supportive environment that cared about their well-being and sense of belonging. In 2021, a small group of faculty launched the AAPI Mentorship Network to uplift the diversity of our academic community and help AAPI students thrive—academically, professionally, and personally. Recognizing that AAPI students come from different backgrounds and intersectionalities and have diverse challenges, talents, and aspirations, we sought to build a robust support network and community that made them feel seen and celebrated.

We are in our fourth year of pairing students with staff and faculty who give generously of their time each month to help them navigate academic pathways, professional and leadership development, parent expectations, social advocacy, international student experiences, and the realities of “adulting.” In 2023, we launched the AAPI Heritages Committee as the events arm of the mentorship program. While the mentorship program focused on connecting undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines with mentors, the Heritages Committee sought to expand AAPI student events at the campus level. Together, these programs provide a continuous, visible support system and foster a sense of belonging for AAPI students at Stony Brook.

What support existed previously, and how did the new groups change that balance for students?

Despite the size of the AAPI student population, Stony Brook had no dedicated resource center or longstanding institutional support for AAPI students or alumni—unlike other established affinity communities such as the LGBTQ Center, the Black & Latino Alumni Association, or the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee which held its 36th annual program in October. We wanted to change that. We learned from these groups’ best practices and built initiatives that complemented, rather than duplicated, existing student clubs. What’s unique about the AAPI Mentorship Network and the AAPI Heritages Committee is that they bridge student organizations while providing a home to students who may not belong to an identity-based club. These two programs also attract students in STEM majors who may belong to STEM or professional types of clubs but still seek an affinity-based community. Demand grew so quickly—especially among pre-med students—that we formed a partnership with the Stony Brook chapter of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) to expand mentor capacity and better support students with shared goals. Through the Heritages Committee, we also unified previously scattered programming and events into a cohesive, high-visibility AAPI Heritage Month program. Highlights include a student performance showcase, keynote speaker events, an Asian and Asian American Studies Student Research Symposium, and an end-of-year mochi ice cream social. Recognizing the work of and partnering with other offices and departments helped us reach a broad network of students, staff, and faculty. And with each event, our sense of pride and belonging (students, faculty, and staff alike) grew.

What was involved in putting together both initiatives? How difficult was it to get buy in from campus leadership?

It was really the persistent vision to nurture a campus-wide AAPI community and the unwavering commitment of this small (about eight of us) but mighty group of faculty and staff who were undaunted by any barriers. Some of us had deep institutional knowledge about how things got done, which campus administrators’ blessings we needed, how to apply for what type of funding, etc. Others focused on building sustainable workflows and procedural documentation. It was very important to me that our members represented a cross-section of the campus so that we could pool our collective knowledge together. We have representation from the Libraries, Asian and Asian American Studies Department, International Student Success, College of Business, Music and English Departments, and Academic and Transfer Advising, among others. We worked those networks and had multiple meetings with campus leadership, including the Chief Diversity Officer, Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students, and chairs of academic departments, to share our vision and articulate the need. We were able to secure campus diversity grants to fund the programs and they have been increased each year. This year, for the first time, we added paid student interns. We have also begun working in earnest with the Alumni Affairs Office to create an AAPI alumni connection. In these ways, we are creating a sustainable infrastructure for growing the AAPI community at the university.

How did you publicize them?

We leveraged our various networks as well as established campus news outlets, diversity and advising offices, and student clubs. Today, demand is so high that our focus has shifted from student recruitment to mentor recruitment. To help meet the need, we have expanded the pool of mentors to include allies who share our commitment to supporting AAPI students.

Did anything about the participation or students’ reactions surprise you?

Many students responded with genuine surprise—and relief—that a mentorship program existed specifically for AAPI students. In our first year of the mentorship program, more than 100 students applied. This is significant given that it was an untested and unknown program. We matched about 90 students that year. Each year since then, our applications for mentorship have grown. For example, in 2024–25, we had more than 400 students apply to the program, far more than we could accommodate. But this data is evidence that the program is meeting a need. Students consistently express appreciation for mentors who understand their experiences as immigrants or people of color or international students; for opportunities to meet peers from different majors; and for the reassurance that a caring, culturally aware community exists on campus. As a mentor myself, I’m continually struck by how unique each student’s college journey is—and honored to support them at such formative moments in their lives.

Are there any other aspects of your student support work that you’d like to talk about?

The 2025 ALA Medal of Excellence Award recognized the Ready for Success initiative, a multiyear grant project focused on helping economically disadvantaged high school students gain early exposure to research and information literacy skills—skills often emphasized in wealthier districts through AP research courses or access to college-level research labs. As college librarians who work closely with freshman research classes, my colleagues and I saw the clear disparities in preparation. Our strategy was to work with our counterparts, the high school library media specialists, and the teachers in various subjects (Chemistry, ELA, Engineering, Social Studies, etc.), but also the school administration, which was key to the success of the program. My colleagues and I developed a train-the-trainer professional development program that helped teachers deepen their understanding of research skills and integrate them more intentionally into their curricula. The program resulted in these skills being more purposefully scaffolded into classes and helped sustain the program by creating a community of practice for the high school teachers and librarians.