The Clark School Celebrates Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Heritage Month

In April, we are again fortunate to celebrate two heritage months, reminding us of the shared histories and cultures that come together to forge success in our school, profession, and society. During Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Heritage Month, we highlight the contributions of Clark School students, faculty, staff, and alums who inspire all of us to share our unique perspectives in the pursuit of fearless ideas.

Coming to the U.S. from South Korea at age 15, bioengineering senior Sarang Han surmounted formidable financial and language barriers to become a Clark Scholar with her sights set on medical school. As a future physician-engineer, she hopes to work in transplantable tissue engineering—and one day help solve the critical donor organ shortage.

Chemical and biomolecular engineering senior Adam Morad’s international experiences—he speaks four languages, and counting—have contributed to his interest in sustainability. Having traveled to Greece through the Clark School’s Office of Global Engineering Leadership, and Iceland—where he learned more about hydropower and geothermal energy—he hopes to apply his perspectives and his experiences to a career in the renewable energy industry.

Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE) staffer and Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering alum Shwe Htet Htet Aung M.Eng. ’24 (electrical and computer engineering) escaped a military coup in her native Myanmar to continue her education at the Clark School. She currently serves as the faculty assistant for the CEEE Advanced Heat Exchanger and Process Intensification Consortium and hopes to one day own a small business increasing sustainability by using the internet of things.

Our school is filled with examples of excellence from our APIDA and SWANA community members; Sarang, Adam, and Shwe exemplify that excellence. We encourage you to share these stories, and get involved with campus events for APIDA Heritage Month and SWANA Heritage Month. These events are open to all.

As a new campus resource opening in Fall 2025, the APIDA student space—one of five vibrant spaces housed in the cultural center—will serve as a centralized meeting area. SWANA student involvement also supports its community members through programs and resources, including campus-wide events and MICA’s biweekly SWANA newsletter, Noor News.

Thank you for joining in our Spring ’25 history and heritage month celebrations. We are proud to have such a vibrant community and glad we can take these occasions to build it.

Sincerely,

Samuel Graham

Dean and Nariman Farvardin Professor