Leroy Morishita receives presidential award from Asian and Pacific Americans in Higher Education
President Leroy Morishita and colleagues Phyllis Wise, from left, of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Loretta Adrian of Coastline Community College in Orange County display awards they received from the APAHE.
- February 15, 2012
In early February, President Leroy Morishita was recognized as a presidential honoree at the annual conference of Asian and Pacific Americans in Higher Education.
“Leroy has not only been a staunch advocate and leader for Asian and Pacific Islanders, but equally important, (he has been) an advocate and promoter of education and access for all people,” said Wyman M. Fong, president for APAHE.
At the event, focused on the theme of transforming and leading, Morishita also participated as a member of a President’s Panel, along with four presidents of colleges and universities nationwide. The panelists addressed the subject “Crashing the Party –– Pathways to Leadership Positions.”
Morishita arrived in July at 麻豆传媒社区入口 from San Francisco State University, where he served as executive vice president for Administration and Finance and as chief financial officer. Morishita has more than 30 years of experience as an educator and administrator. His career in higher education started in the CSU system where he worked as counseling coordinator and counselor from 1978 to 1981 for the Educational Opportunity Program at SFSU.
Morishita has been a Commissioner of the Western Association for Senior Colleges and Universities since 2007 and chair of its Finance and Operations Committee since 2010. Additionally, he has served on multiple CSU committees, including the Risk Management Authority since 2002, serving as the authority’s chair from 2006 to 2010 and vice chair from 2004 to 2006; the Systemwide Budget Advisory Committee since 2004; the Human Resources Advisory Committee since 2008; and the Investment Committee from 2007 to 2010.
Active with Bay Area-based organizations, he is a trustee of the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, a former board member of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California and former president and board member of Oakland’s Asian Community Mental Health Services.
Founded in 1987, APAHE initially focused exclusively on addressing Asian Pacific American concerns and issues in higher education in California. The organization expanded its scope in 2000 in recognition of the interests and concerns Asian Pacific Americans nationwide share and the need to project their voices more forcefully onto national forums of higher education.