He said the Asian and Pacific Islander initiative should also have a space for programming to promote the retention of underrepresented students. The other retention initiatives on campus – African American, Chicanx/Latinx and Native American – have their own spaces. “He has left an incredible legacy on our campus, making tremendous gains to address important areas such as basic needs and supporting the thriving and unique needs of Pacific Islander students.”Īt a November meeting of the vice chancellor’s cabinet of student leaders, Malepeai spoke with tears about the need for an Asian and Pacific Islander center. “Abiel has been a transformative student leader at UC Davis who has made long-lasting contributions with his advocacy and student leadership,” said Pablo Reguerín, vice chancellor of Student Affairs. He said this was meant to bring visibility to underrepresented minorities within both the Asian and Pacific Islander diaspora that are not usually captured in aggregated data, such as Hmong, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Laotian. Malepeai was also behind the push that resulted in the “and” being added to the name of the Strategic Asian and Pacific Islander Retention Initiative. He also co-chaired UC Davis’ Oceania: Pacific Islander Research Working Group, a space for researching Pacific Islander history, literature and culture. He co-founded and served as chief of treasury of the Pacific Islander Student Association, worked as a student intern for the Strategic Asian and Pacific Islander Retention Initiative, and served on the vice chancellor of Student Affairs’ cabinet of student leaders. Malepeai strives for greater visibility and resources for the Pacific Islander community on campus. “My ups and downs are representative of the people that raised me,” he said. Advocating for his communityīorn in Faga’alu, American Samoa, and raised in South San Francisco, Malepeai considers his heritage to be a source of empowerment. “We can enact change via policy for underrepresented minorities,” he said. The 28-year-old reentry student transferred in fall 2020 to UC Davis from Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California, and aspires to become a physician who is involved in policymaking to advance health equity. Malepeai has received the UCOP President's Award for his work encouraging institutional changes to improve the lives of fellow UC Davis students who identify as Pasifika, referring to the people of Oceania and their descendants. He enrolled in the College of Biological Sciences as a transfer student, and participated in the college's AvenueB program, which supports transfer students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, as they transition from community college to UC Davis. “ super thankful, grateful and honored to receive this award,” said Malepeai, who graduated in June with a Bachelor of Science degree in neurobiology, physiology and behavior. The award, which includes $1,500 and a plaque, was presented at the UC Board of Regents meeting on July 20. Malepeai has now been honored with the UC President's Award for Outstanding Student Leadership for collaborative problem-solving that furthers UC’s mission of teaching, research and public service. May Richard Lieb, chair of the UC Board of Regents Abiel's father Jack Malepeai, sister Ululau Tautolo and brother-in-law Jason Tautolo and UC President Michael V. From left to right are Chancellor Gary S. Family received the award on behalf of Abiel Malepeai, who was attending a national fraternity meeting.
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