Two women in professional dress smile at the camera
Joanna Regulska (right) and Yvonne Lim Ai Lian (left).

UC Davis Concludes Five Years of Leadership in the APRU APWiL Mentoring Program

  • by Alicia S Loge

Over the past five years, UC Davis has served as co-lead of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) APWiL Mentoring Program—an initiative dedicated to advancing gender equity across higher education in the Pacific Rim. Since 2020, the program has grown to support nearly 400 participants from more than 30 APRU member universities, forming mentoring pairs that span disciplines, institutions, and geographies.

In recognition of their leadership, Joanna Regulska, Vice Provost and Dean of Global Affairs and Distinguished Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at UC Davis, Yvonne Lim Ai Lian, Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) and Senior Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Universiti Malaya, and team members—from UC Davis, Kimberly Bellows, Chelsey Hawes, Glynis Kincaid (now at UC Santa Cruz), and Dawn Takaoglu—were honored at the APRU Senior International Leaders’ Meeting at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in October, 2025. The award highlights the transformative impact of APWiL’s strategic programming and its role in strengthening inclusive leadership across the Asia Pacific.

UC Davis Engagement

UC Davis’s leadership in APWiL was propelled by a highly engaged team, whose active involvement helped shape the program’s direction and strengthen each cohort’s experience. The team played a central role in program design, coordination, mentoring support, and cross-cultural facilitation. Their work helped establish a mentoring model now recognized by many APRU members as a best practice for empowering women’s leadership.

Equally important to UC Davis’s impact was the participation of its community members. Over five cohorts, 23 UC Davis faculty, administrators, and researchers from across a diverse array of colleges and schools took part as mentors and mentees, reflecting the university’s commitment to fostering leadership at all levels and across all academic and professional fields. Their engagement deepened APWiL’s reach and expanded opportunities for emerging leaders across the Pacific Rim.

Six UC Davis faculty and staff members involved in the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership Mentoring Program smile at the camera camera
UC Davis team members Kimberly Bellows (2nd from left), Chelsey Hawes (3rd from left) and Joanna Regulska (center) with UC Davis participants Poh Choo How, Kim Barrett and Serena Yang in Fall 2022.
A group o fpeople smile at the camera in a large indoor event space
UC Davis team members Kimberly Bellows (2nd from left), Dawn Takaoglu (3rd from left), Joanna Regulska (5th from left, front row) and Glynis Kincaid (4th from left, back row) with UC Davis Chancellor Gary May (center) and LeShelle May (3rd from left, back row) with APWiL Summit participants in 2024, Auckland, New Zealand.

UC Davis APWiL Mentoring Program Participants (2020–2025)

Note that all titles and institutions reported below were accurate at the time of participation and may have changed.

Mentors

  • Louise Ferguson, professor and extension specialist, Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (2020-21)
  • Christopher Glick, assistant dean of development and external relations, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (2020-21)
  • Cynthia Carter Ching, interim vice provost and dean, Undergraduate Education, and professor of learning and mind sciences, School of Education (2021-22)
  • Jennifer Curtis, distinguished professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering (2021-22)
  • Lisa Tell, professor of medicine and epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine (2021-22)
  • Kim Barrett, vice dean for research and Distinguished Professor, Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, School of Medicine (2022-23)
  • Cassandra Lee, chief of sports, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine (2022-23)
  • Susette Min, associate professor, Asian American Studies, College of Letters and Science (2022-23)
  • John Rundle, Distinguished Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Letters and Science (2022-23)
  • Serena Yang, division chief, General Pediatrics; vice chair, community engagement, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine (2022-23)
  • Colleen Clancy, professor, Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, School of Medicine (2023-24)
  • Serena Yang, division chief, general pediatrics; vice chair, community engagement, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine (2023-24)
  • Zhi Ding, professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering (2024-25)
  • Serena Yang, division chief, general pediatrics; vice chair, community engagement, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine (2024-25)

Mentees

  • Jessica Bissett Perea, assistant professor, Department of Native American Studies, College of Letters and Science (2020-21)
  • Norkamari Shakira Bandolin, assistant clinical professor of emergency medicine, director of global health division and fellowship, School of Medicine (2021-22)
  • Christine McBeth, assistant clinical professor of emergency medicine, School of Medicine (2021-22)
  • Cecilia Tsu, associate professor, Department of History, College of Letters and Science (2021-22)
  • Poh Choo How, associate professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine (2022-23)
  • Katherine Ralston, associate professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Biological Sciences (2022-23)
  • Caroline Kieu-Linh Valverde, associate professor, Department of Asian American Studies, College of Letters and Science (2023-24)
  • Jennifer Choi, associate professor of teaching, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering (2024-25)
  • Audrey Fan, assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Department of Neurology, School of Medicine (2024-25)

Program Growth, Innovation, and Global Impact

The APWiL Mentoring Program has evolved significantly since its launch, expanding from 30 participants in its pilot cohort to 78 participants in its fifth year. Through international mentor–mentee pairings, virtual workshops, and peer-learning opportunities, the program has strengthened leadership capacity, broadened global networks, and supported career advancement across the APRU community.

The program’s first in-person Summit—held in Auckland in 2024—brought together participants, alumni and university leadership from across the region to explore leadership identity, work–life balance, goal-setting, research collaboration, and more. The gathering reinforced APWiL’s role in driving shared commitments to mentorship, equity, and systemic change.

APWiL’s influence has extended beyond individual development, inspiring new mentoring structures at member universities and contributing to a more connected, supportive ecosystem for leaders across the Pacific Rim.

A large group poses for a formal photo on stairs.
Participants at the APWiL Summit in Auckland (2024).

A Lasting Legacy

As UC Davis concludes its five-year co-leadership role, its impact can be seen in the hundreds of people whose leadership journeys were strengthened and in the deepened institutional partnerships across the APRU network. The APWiL Mentoring Program will continue to grow under new leadership, supported by the strong foundation built during its inaugural years.

A recent APRU feature article highlights the program’s impact and long-term significance.

A companion video captures APWiL’s global reach and mentoring community.

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Partnerships & Collaborations

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APWiL Faculty Asia and the Pacific Global Partnerships