Dr. Kiang is a nationally recognized scholar on issues concerning Asian Americans and education, minority and immigrant/refugee youth and community development, ethnic studies curriculum and program development, pedagogy and voice in the classroom, trauma, healing, and legacies of the U.S./Vietnam war, and critical reflexivity and qualitative research methods. Dr. Kiang’s research has been supported by such organizations as the National Academy of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and the Massachusetts Association for Bilingual Education.

Some of Dr. Kiang’s publications are: "New Challenges of Representing Asian American Students in U.S. Higher Education," "K-12 Education and Asian Pacific American Youth Development," "Teaching, Tenure, and Institutional Transformation: Reflections on Race, Culture, and Resilience at an Urban University," "Persistence Stories and Survival Strategies of Cambodian Americans in College," "Southeast Asian and Latino Parent Empowerment: Lessons from Lowell, Massachusetts," and "Bicultural Strengths and Struggles of Southeast Asian American Students." "New Challenges of Representing Asian American Students in U.S. Higher Education" is a publication housed within the diversity library, which is available to all MASFAA members.

Dr. Kiang earned his degrees from Harvard University (A.B. in 1980, Ed.M. in 1986, and Ed.D. in 1991) and has been teaching at the University of Massachusetts Boston since 1987. Dr. Kiang was also affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Community Fellow in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning in 1985. Dr. Kiang holds the record for the fastest time to (doctorate) degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He enrolled in the doctoral program in Teaching, Curriculum and Learning Environments in September 1989. He completed all of his coursework and finished his dissertation in time to graduate in June 1991.

Prior to teaching at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Dr. Kiang was the Program Director of the Asian American Resource Workshop, a nationally-recognized, non-profit organization whose mission is "to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society." The center provides programs in education, culture, and community advocacy for Asian Americans throughout New England.

Besides teaching, conducting research, mentoring students, and collaborating with ethnic studies colleagues, participating on numerous university committees, and advocating for others, Dr. Kiang is also involved in community activities. He is co-president of the Chinese Historical Society of New England and chair of the Massachusetts Advisory Committee for the US Commission on Civil Rights. In 2005, he was honored by the Harvard Graduate School of Education at the Alumni of Color Conference for his significant contributions to the field of education.

CEED is ecstatic that Dr. Kiang has agreed to share his time and knowledge with MASFAA. We invite you to make a mental note of Dr. Kiang’s presentation to us in June. The date of this event will be announced via the Listserv.