A research team from the Faculty of Education launched the project Celebrating Asian Heritage: Re-Membering and Re-Storing the “Hidden Pandemic” of Anti-Asian Racism to honour the lasting contributions of University of Windsor faculty members of Asian descent.

Supported by a $5,000 grant from the University of Windsor’s Diversity, Indigeneity, and Anti-Racism Professional Development Fund—administered through the Office of the Vice-President, People, Equity and Inclusion—Shijing Xu and her team created a space for faculty to share their remarkable work, highlighting their contributions to the University and to local and global communities.

“Asian faculty, staff, and students have made lasting contributions to research, education, and community engagement, both locally and globally. With this project, we spotlight several outstanding members of our community whose leadership and dedication exemplify the spirit of Asian Heritage,” says Dr. Xu.

Xu collaborated with post-doctoral fellow Chenkai Chi and doctoral student Luyao Tan to document the achievements of faculty members across various disciplines at the University.

“This initiative not only celebrates the historical and contemporary contributions of Canadians of Asian descent, but also invites reflection on the ongoing efforts to challenge stereotypes, resist racism, and build a more inclusive society,” says Dr. Chi.

Here are their stories:

Dr. Catherine Febria, Associate Professor, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Freshwater Restoration Ecology Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Integrative Biology  

An immigrant settler from the Philippines, Dr. Catherine Febria leads the Healthy Headwaters Lab, where she integrates local and Indigenous knowledge systems with ecological science. As Canada’s nominee to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Dr. Febria represents both Canada and Asian heritage on the global stage. Reflecting on her work, she shares, “By working on water, it was the one way I knew that I could honor my heritage and my gifts, and it didn't matter where in the world I was”. Her advocacy for inclusive, ethical, and community-engaged science exemplifies the power of diverse voices in shaping environmental policy and practice.

Dr. Edward Cruz, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Faculty of Nursing 

Born and educated in the Philippines, Dr. Edward Cruz is a passionate advocate for internationally educated nurses (IENs). His national leadership in supporting IENs through the Partners in Integration and Education of Internationally Educated Nurses has helped improve professional pathways for nurses across Canada. Dr. Cruz also founded "Project Sent Philippines," sending thousands of healthcare books to under-resourced nursing programs in his home country, demonstrating his commitment to global educational equity. Reflecting on his own journey, he notes, “The biggest issue that I ever encountered was the non-recognition of international credentials, especially those coming from developing countries like the Philippines”. 

In recognition of his leadership in nursing education and advocacy, Dr. Cruz was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, a national honour celebrating Canadians who have made significant contributions to their communities, the country, or the world. Nominated by the Canadian Nurses Association, Dr. Cruz was recognized for advancing equity, youth empowerment, and health system sustainability.

Dr. Jane Ku, Associate Professor, Sociology & Criminology/Women and Gender Studies

As a scholar of anti-racism, immigrant settlement, and feminist activism, Dr. Jane Ku has contributed significantly to advancing equity on campus and beyond. A founding member of the RAACES group at UWindsor, Dr. Ku works to address racism and promote racial justice in academic and local communities. Her research bridges local immigrant experiences with global geopolitical contexts, offering critical insights into the systemic nature of anti-Asian and other forms of racism. As she explains, “A lot of my work is really… thinking through how geopolitics is also shaping some of the anti-Asian animus here in Canada and in Western countries.”

Dr. Naved Bakali, Associate Professor of Anti-Racism Education, Faculty of Education  

Dr. Naved Bakali’s research on anti-racism education draws on his lived experiences as a member of the South Asian Muslim diaspora.  His work investigates the impacts of bias and discrimination on Asian diaspora communities. He shares, “A lot of my work is looking at the experiences of bias, racism, discrimination, prejudice and so on of Asian diaspora communities”. Dr. Bakali’s commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and addressing systemic bias underscores the importance of anti-racism education in building more inclusive learning environments. 

Grace Liu, Systems Librarian, Leddy Library 

With over 18 years of service at the University of Windsor, Grace Liu has made significant contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion in academic librarianship. As the founder of the Canada Chapter of the Chinese American Librarians Association and the first non-U.S. president of the organization, she champions representation and professional development for Asian librarians. Liu’s leadership in launching the International Journal of Librarianship has created a global platform for underrepresented voices in library and information sciences. Speaking about her ongoing EDI work, she states, “We believe the outcome [of our EDI and STEM librarianship project] will help the University of Windsor and the larger community to build a more equitable, inclusive and diversified learning community.”

This report is based on an EDID initiative made by Dr. Shijing Xu with Dr. Chenkai Chi, involving faculty members and graduate research assistant of Asian backgrounds in fighting against anti-Asian Racism and celebrating the Asan Heritage. This initiative was supported by an internal grant from the Office of Vice President – People, Equity and Inclusion. 

Dr. Shijing Xu, Acting Associate Dean, Teacher Education, is Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in International and Intercultural reciprocal learning in education

As a leading scholar in the field of reciprocal learning in international and cross-cultural education, she has co-directed with Dr. Michael Connelly, the SSHRC Partnership Grant Project Reciprocal Learning in Teacher Education and School Education between Canada and China. She and her team have fostered collaboration marked by mutual respect and appreciation among universities, school boards, and more than 40 schools in both countries. The project also generates numerous learning and research opportunities for graduate students, undergraduates, visiting scholars and postdoctoral researchers from both countries.  

Dr. Chenkai Chi, Postdoctoral fellow, Faculty of Education, has been engaged as a research assistant and collaborator in Dr. Xu’s projects since 2017, Contextualized in Xu and Connelly’s SSHRC Partnership Grant Project. His dissertation, supported by Ontario Graduate Scholarship, SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship and Mitacs Globalink research fellowship, focuses on Canadian generalist teaching model and Chinese specialist teaching model and explores what can be reciprocally learned. As an Asian immigrant, he is passionate in working together with educators to make a sustainable world with hopes.