UPAAN Annual Report

2013 was an exciting year for UPAAN,
with the relaunch of our national programming, a brand new board, and a number of exciting events across the local chapters. This report contains a brief summary of major initiatives and events, as well as the results of our stakeholder survey conducted in the summer. We're looking forward to bringing more meaning to this network as we continue our efforts in 2014.

2013 Initiatives

  • Network Relaunch

    Our goal for 2013 was to activate the incredible potential in our alumni community by creating more meaningful and valuable connections between alumni. We started the Opportunities Listserv, a google group to post or find job opportunities, the UPAAN Hub, a Facebook group for members to share thought-provoking articles and ideas, and are working towards building UPAAN Online, an online portal that will connect alumni with the student organizations they were involved with at Penn.

  • Membership & Campus Programming

    UPAAN hosted two on-campus events in 2013: an informal networking session and happy hour at City Tap House for Alumni Weekend, and a panel of alumni for Homecoming where Michael Lee (Apex), Joyce Meng (Givology), Iqram Magdon-Ismail (Venmo) and Dr. Roberto Mariano (Penn Economics) spoke about their experiences after graduating from Penn. We also launched the Resume Review program, matching alumni with current students to give resume feedback and career advice.

  • Partnerships

    UPAAN was chosen as one of this year's co-chairs for Penn's Alumni Diversity Alliance Committee to work with the Association of Native Alumni, the Association of Latino Alumni, the Black Alumni Society, Penn GALA, and the James Brister Society on issues related to diversity and inclusion both at Penn and among alums. In 2014, we will also be interacting with our peer Asian alumni groups such as the Asian Columbia Alumni Association in hopes of expanding our networks beyond Penn.

  • Non-Profit Status & Public Service Internship Fund

    Last year, UPAAN began the process of setting up our account structure as a 501(c)7 Non-Profit Organization, a process we will continue in 2014. Our goal for 2014 is to raise money for the Public Service Internship Fund, a stipend to support students who seek internships in the public sector.

  • Membership Communications

    We increased participation and engagement both online through our listservs, site content, and social media by over 20%, and offline through our Homecoming and Alumni Weekend events by over 100%. To improve our communications, we performed an extensive listserv overhaul and switched to a more frequent quarterly newsletter. We also reached out to ~20,000 self-identified Asian alumni as part of an initiative to make sure our network is as complete and robust as possible.

Events & Activities

Six chapters nationwide form the foundation of our local initiatives and activities. If you're interested in chartering a chapter in your city, please contact the the board for more information.

  • National Events

  • Life Beyond the College Bubble | Homecoming Weekend 2013 (Photos)

    We had the chance to hear from some of our most accomplished fellow Penn alumni on a panel discussion about how the Penn experience and ethnic identity have influenced our lives and careers beyond the Penn bubble! Our distinguished speakers included:

    • Michael Lee, C'02, Executive Director of Apex for Youth
    • Joyce Meng, W'08, C'08, CEO of Givology
    • Iqram Magdon-Ismail, ENG'06, Co-Founder of Venmo
    • Moderator Dr. Roberto Mariano, Emeritus Professor of Economics at Penn, Founding Dean of Singapore Management University School of Economics
  • Alumni Diversity Conference | Penn Spectrum 2013 (Photos)

    UPAAN joins forces with the rest of the Diversity Alliance alumni organizations to host Penn's second diversity-focused conference to celebrate and encourage discourse around the topic of diversity at Penn at in its alumni communities.

  • UPAAN Network Relaunch | Alumni Weekend 2013 (Photos)

    Our relaunch of the UPAAN network as the new National Board started our push for more transparency and stronger connections among our alumni. It was great seeing so many alumni come back for the weekend!

  • Events by UPAAN DC

  • Lunar New Year Brunch (w/ Penn, Dartmouth, & Harvard) @ Sichuan Pavillion Restaurant | February 9th, 2013

    UPAAN-DC alumni welcomed the Year of the Snake with good company and a wonderful brunch of Sichuan specialties. The event also provided UPAAN-DC alumni the opportunity to network with Dartmouth and Harvard APA DC alums.

  • Events by UPAAN LA

  • Ivy Asian Alumni - Dimsum Night | February 17th, 2013

    UPAAN-LA hosted an Ivy-League Alumni Dimsum with the Alumni Associations of Princeton, Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth.

  • Ivy Asian Alumni - Ice Skating Social | March 30th, 2013

    UPAAN-LA co-sponsored an ice skating event with the Asian Alumni Associations of Princeton, Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth.

  • Summer Meetup for Drinks | June 28th, 2013

    The Asian alumni associations of Princeton, Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, and the University of Pennsylvania collaborated on a joint happy hour for alumni to meet new friends and hang out with old college buddies as we begin the summer!

  • A Special Night With Authors Kevin Kwan and Alison Singh Gee | September 10th, 2013

    UPAAN-LA was pleased to host authors Kevin Kwan (Crazy Rich Asians) and Alison Singh Gee (Where the Peacocks Sing: A Palace, a Prince, and the Search for Home) for a fun night of wine, readings, and friends as they shared their latest works and their thoughts on memoir writing and life in general.

  • Events by UPAAN Bay Area

  • Relaunch Happy Hour | August 24th, 2013

    UPAAN-SF hosted a happy hour to renew interest in UPAAN SF. A good number of people came and were excited about future UPAAN SF events.

  • Events by Partner Organizations

  • The young Penn Asian Alumni Network (yPAAN) is focused on developing and furthering community of recent Asian Penn graduates in New York City.
  • Launch Party @ Solas Lounge | January 18th, 2013

    Celebrating the re-branding of the UPAAN Young Alumni organization to the young Penn Asian Alumni Network, with a new events calendar for 2013!

  • Dim Sum Brunch @ Go Dim Sum | February 23rd, 2013

    Spring and young alumni were both welcomed with a networking happy hour in NYC's Midtown East neighborhood.

  • Spring Happy Hour @ Amaze |March 21st, 2013

    An opportunity for yPAAN to take advantage of programming offered in NYC to tour multiple dumpling houses in Chinatown and also taste dumplings from each location.

  • Tech Meet Up @ Destination Bar | April 11th, 2013

    Our first professional / career event, yPAAN brought together entrepreneurs from the Penn community to network with other budding and aspiring entrepreneurs.

  • New York Cares Day | April 20th, 2013

    Our first community service event, the yPAAN community participated in the NYC-wide New York Cares service day to help clean and paint a public park.

  • Pho Phriday @ Nha Trang One | May 9th, 2013

    yPAAN hosted a dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, where participants had the opportunity to get to know fellow Penn alumni and explore the rich cuisine of Vietnam.

  • NYC 101 - The yPAAN Guide to the City Life Release | May 21st, 2013

    yPAAN compiled an all-purpose, comprehensive guide to moving to NYC for upcoming summer interns and recent college graduates. Highlights included tips on finding apartments, which restaurants to eat at, and venues to explore in NYC.

  • Picnic in the Park with yPAAN @ Central Park | June 1st, 2013

    Alumni gathered in Central Park amid a summer scorcher for a fun and relaxing afternoon picnic and games.

  • Welcome Interns @ Smorgasburg | July 13th, 2013

    Penn interns had the opportunity to meet, greet, and eat with fellow interns and alumni at Brooklyn's famous flea food market.

  • Inter-Ivy Picnic @ Central Park | July 21st, 2013

    yPAAN partnered with the Harvard, Yale, and Princeton Asian alumni organizations (H4A, AAYA, and A4P) for a joint picnic in Central Park, bringing together Ivy League graduates from all over NYC.

  • Annual Welcome to NYC Happy Hour @ Bourbon Street Bar & Grille | September 13th, 2013

    Recent graduates were welcomed to the city with a happy hour in the heart of New York's Hells Kitchen.

  • YPAAN Professionals : The Next Steps | September 29th, 2013

    yPAAN organized our first career panel, featuring speakers who have come from and transitioned to a diversity of sectors, including finance, consulting, tech startups, non-profit, journalism, and law:

    • Varun Balan, '11: Equinox, JP Morgan
    • Mark Chou, '09: Ralph Lauren, NYC Investment Fund, Blackstone
    • Sherene Joseph, '08: ForbesWoman, Macmillan
    • Charles Pan, '09: Kinnek, Gerson Lehrman Group
    • Benjamin Shyong, '12: Meddik
    • Johan Tatoy, '10: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Columbia Law
  • Celebrate Oktoberfest with yPAAN | October 30th, 2013

    yPAAN hosted an evening of sauerkraut, bratwurst, pretzel rolls, and of course, beer at Loreley Restaurant and Biergarten after work to enjoy some special Oktoberfest brews and eats with young alumni in the area!
  • Holiday Speed Dating with Princeton's A4P & Harvard's H4A @ EVR | November 21st, 2013

    yPAAN teamed up with A4P and H4A (Princeton's and Harvard's Asian alumni associations) to bring those single and ready-to-mingle together through a speed dating session.
  • 8th Annual All-Ivy Asian Holiday mixer @ Rosewood | December 12th, 2013

    Seven schools (Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Stanford) came together to host this festive annual Holiday Mixer. Proceeds from this event went to support disaster relief in the Philippines from Typhoon Haiyan.

Survey Results: We're Listening!

This summer, UPAAN conducted a survey of our constituents to learn more about our members and what their interests and priorities were. With a new UPAAN board being ushered in the beginning of April 2013, your responses have been instrumental as UPAAN continues to improve by rebranding, reimaging, and refreshing its mission and programming for the 2013-2014 year. We reviewed your comments and want to share with you our progress on meeting your needs and what's in the pipeline for 2014!

What you're looking for in an alumni organization

  • You would like UPAAN to "provide a more strong formal network" by communicating "who was in the network, how to contact them, and opportunities for mentorship", as well as helping "make connections with other alums through a searchable database, a formal referral network, and job opportunities."

    • What we've done since April 2013:
      We've reached out to thousands of alums through an email campaign informing alums about UPAAN: what we do, what we're here for, and how we'd like to hear from them! We've also worked with the Pan Asian American Community House and Penn students on establishing a resume review program where students have the opportunity to have their resume reviewed by an alum in an area of work that they are either looking for a job or internship in or are interested in learning more about the field.

      We also started the UPAAN job opportunities listserv where alums have the opportunity to submit employment opportunities from their networks to the listserv. Alums can also email the group to search for opportunities or speak to someone in a certain city or career field they might be interested in. This listserv is an opportunity to also share information related to particular sectors or trends related to the job market.

    • What we have in the pipeline for 2014:
      We've been in the process of creating a new online database to help alumni find and connect with other alumni. The goal is to produce an accurate and very simple system that lets people gain value out of our network by being able to discover others and reach out to them. We will use this system to consolidate and better define UPAAN membership, and allowing yourself be reachable is an opt-in feature; we are hoping to go live by Alumni Weekend of 2014.

      If you are interested in pursuing new opportunities, we are in the planning stages in creating a mechanism for alums to reach out to the APA alumni community via the UPAAN opportunities listserv. Please keep an eye out for that!

  • You want to hear more from UPAAN about what our goals our, what we are working on, and just more from us in general!

    • What we've done since April 2013:
      We've been working hard on increasing our visibility both online and offline. We've raised our visibility on Facebook by actively reaching out to classmates and peers about liking our UPAAN Facebook Page to increase brand awareness of UPAAN. We've also creating The UPAAN Hub where alums have an online forum to discuss anything from APA issues, Penn, news, and features as well as share bits of information that you think might be of interest to our community.

    • What we have in the pipeline for 2014:
      We've put together this annual report to highlight what we have accomplished over the past eight months and what our strategy is for 2014. This coming year will focus on fundraising efforts for our student internship fund, raising the profile of our alumni and their works across the globe, reinstating our chapters with consistent programming, and connecting alumni in more meaningful ways.

  • In addition to more programs, you'd like to see more diversity in our programming including more family friendly events as well as opportunities to meet new people.

    • What we've done since April 2013:
      As a board we've been getting to know our constituents speaking to alums from different classes, schools, and geographies. We wanted to get a sense of who makes up our alumni community and what you're interested in! As a result, we started changing our events to appeal to a larger range of alumni and to also encourage better engagement and discussions among attendees, which we were happy to see, reflected in our Homecoming event this year.

    • What we have in the pipeline for 2014:
      Based on the feedback we've been collecting over the past several months, we'll be putting together fresh new programming during our Alumni Weekend and Homecoming events including a mixer with current student leaders and those involved with student groups, a cooking competition between Penn alums in the culinary business, and more!

  • In addition to our annual UPAAN Homecoming and Alumni Weekend Events, you expressed that you'd like to see more programs and events throughout the year.

    • What we've done since April 2013:
      We've been identifying members of our community who may be interested in helping us drive these events in local areas, and working with them to build a local community or chapter in the area.

    • What we have in the pipeline for 2014:
      We are looking to formally reinitiate and update our list of chapters with fresh programming and make a call out for open positions to lead former chapters who have had turnover. Our goal is to have each chapter organizing at least a different event each quarter to provide diversity to the programming.

  • For those of you not on the East Coast, you'd "like to feel more connected to the APA alumni community and to Penn" and for "more outreach and social events to alumni outside of Philadelphia and New York."

    • What we've done since April 2013:
      In addition to our quarterly newsletters, we've also sent out location-specific events to our chapter listservs. For those of you based in the U.S. we've also identified alums in the major cities who are interested in helping to reinstate UPAAN's city chapters in places such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston. We've also worked on a chapter framework and on boarding materials that will be sent out to current and potential chapter leaders in 2014 for their review.

    • What we have in the pipeline for 2014:
      We will be working with Chapter Representatives on strengthening the relationship and communications with the National Board as well as identifying alums in their city for outreach to build up their constituency. For those of you who are located outside of the United States, we will be launching a Google Group based on the cities that alums are located in. This group will be managed by a representative in that specific city so if you are interested and you're based anywhere in the world that does not have a UPAAN Regional Chapter, whether that's Paris or Jakarta, please email us at upaan@upaan.org to let us know you'd like to manage a group!

  • You recommended "UPAAN take more of a leadership role in driving change and impact in the Penn APA community through alumni participation, networking, and contributions as well as supporting APAs in non-traditional areas."

    • What we've done since April 2013:
      We created the Strategic Partnerships Chair position which will lead the strategy of raising UPAAN's profile among Penn's alumni groups and Alumni Relations. Through this position, we have reached out to the alumni groups of our peer schools to introduce the new board.

    • We've also been sure to highlight the work of alums such as the documentary Why We Rise by Brian Redondo C'05 and our Homecoming Panelists, Michael Lee C'02, Executive Director of Apex for Youth, Joyce Meng W'08, C'08, CEO of Givology, Iqram Magdon-Ismail ENG'05, Co-Founder of Vemo, and Moderator Dr. Roberto Mariano, Emeritus Professor of Economics at Penn, Founding Dean of Singapore Management University School of Economics.

    • What we have in the pipeline for 2014:
      The Strategic Partnerships Chair is the Co-Chair for the University's Diversity Alliance group comprised of the Association of Native Alumni, Association of Latino Alumni, Black Alumni Society, PennGALA, and the James Brister Society. Through this position, the Strategic Partnerships Chair shares and exchanges best practices with the group, build collaboration among the alumni associations, and works on issues related to diversity and inclusion related to alums, students, and the university. We will also strengthen our ties with university faculty and staff and work together.

      Related to our peer schools, we will be strengthening our relationship with them by meeting with them in-person to see where we can collaborate as well as introduce their chapter representatives along with UPAAN's chapter representatives to also raise our profile and reach in our cities.

      We'll also continue to identify alums like you that are doing amazing work by supporting and celebrating their achievements. If there are alums that you would like to hear more about or there are some that you would like for us to highlight whether through our Alumni Spotlight column in our quarterly newsletter, on a panel, or a discussion please let us know!

  • You want to hear more from UPAAN about "what's happening on campus".

    • What we've done since April 2013:
      We've revamped the look and content of UPAAN's quarterly newsletter which covers everything from major events happening at Penn to issues related to Asian Pacific Americans on a national level. We've even highlighted and supported the projects that student groups are working on such as the Penn Philippine Association's fundraiser for Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.

    • What we have in the pipeline for 2014:
      We're reaching out to student leaders and working with PAACH on collaborative programming for 2014. By working more closely with Penn staff, we'll be able to keep you more abreast on the current issues that students are working on and interested in which can help you find ways for you to be more involved with Penn!

Respondent Demographics

The following insights and quotes were pulled from the 99 survey respondents and 15 interviews conducted.

  • Year received Penn Degree

  • Undergrad/Graduate

  • Penn school

  • Residing metro area

  • Current occupation