Northwest Asian Weekly: SU Dean Wallace Loh named provost of U of Iowa

nwasianweekly.com April 12, 2008

SU Dean Wallace Loh named provost of U of Iowa By Eleanor Lee Northwest Asian Weekly Wallace Loh, dean of the Seattle University College of Arts and Sciences, was recently named executive vice president and provost of the University of Iowa. He leaves Seattle University at the end of the month and is expected to start at the University of Iowa Aug. 1. Loh, 63, has held the position of dean at SU since 1999. Previously, he had been the chief policy adviser to then Gov. Gary Locke. He also served as vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of faculties at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1995 to 1997, and as dean of the University of Washington Law School from 1990 to 1995. Loh recently talked to the Northwest Asian Weekly, reflecting back on his distinguished career in Seattle. NWAW: Please describe what you’ll miss most about Seattle. Loh: What I’ll miss most about Seattle are all the wonderful people I’ve gotten to know and cherish during my 30 years living here. I shall also miss the large and vibrant Asian community and the Pacific Rim orientation that’s the distinctive quality of Seattle. This is a very special place and it will always have a special place in my heart. NWAW: What are you proudest of achieving in Seattle? Loh: There are two things that I’m proudest of during my years here. One is expanding the diversity and excellence of the two institutions I’ve worked at, the University of Washington Law School and Seattle University’s College of Arts & Sciences. The other thing I’m proudest of is serving as policy director for the first Chinese American governor in the U.S., Gary Locke. NWAW: A lot of people had thought you would end your career at Seattle University. What prompted you to pull up stakes and go to Iowa? Loh: Going to Iowa brings my career to a full circle. I immigrated here 45 years ago and landed in Iowa, a lonely teenager. The people in Iowa received me with open doors and open hearts. My four years in the heartland of the country had a transformative impact on my life. To serve at the University of Iowa represents an opportunity for me to give back to the people and the state of Iowa. NWAW: What is the Asian American community like in Iowa? Loh: I believe that the Asian American community in Iowa is quite small, which will make it easier for me to meet as many people of that community as possible. NWAW: How would you characterize the strides the API community has made in academia? Loh: The strides of the API community in academia have been growing over the past 20 years. Community events organized by (NWAW Publisher) Assunta Ng and press coverage by papers like the Northwest Asian Weekly have contributed to those strides. I was the first Asian American dean of an American law school in 1990; today, there are two others. The provost at the University of Washington and now the provost at the University of Iowa, two major research universities, are both Asian American. And there will be increasing leadership opportunities in academia for the next generation of API members. Eleanor Lee can be reached at e.lee@nwasianweekly.com.

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