Dear campus community,
After a successful national search, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Khuyen Vu Nguyen has been appointed to serve as the next Executive Director of the Student Learning Center (SLC), which supports a global community of learners as they navigate the cultural expectations and academic rigor of UC Berkeley. Khuyen has served as the Center’s Executive Associate Director since 2017 and will begin her new role on Monday August 18, 2025.
Over the past eight years, Khuyen has helped guide the SLC’s evolution into a nationally-recognized model for peer-led, research-driven academic support. The Center currently serves more than 12,000 undergraduates each year and plays an essential role in advancing academic engagement and success across disciplines.
Khuyen earned her MA and PhD in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley and has made this campus her professional home for the past 20 years. As Executive Associate Director, she oversaw the majority of the SLC’s academic programs, while also leading the development of key campus partnerships and initiatives that enhance students’ ability to learn, collaborate, and participate actively in the intellectual life of the university. Her leadership reflects a remarkable blend of operational strength and creative vision. During her tenure with the SLC, she co-founded the Lucheta-Vaterlaus Scholars Program to support first-generation, first-year students in pursuing original research; helped launch the Research Associate Program, the Center’s first externally-funded initiative to expand research access for historically underserved students; and oversaw the pilot of executive function coaching services for neurodivergent learners. Together, these efforts have further strengthened the Center’s capacity to serve Berkeley’s diverse undergraduate population. At the heart of her work is a deep belief that learning is the foundation of academic engagement and that fostering transformative learning experiences is essential to the university’s public mission.
A recipient of the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award and a three-time Excellence in Management Award honoree, Khuyen is recognized for her creative problem-solving, intentional investment in student and staff development, and distinctive ability to build systems of learning and support that are both innovative and responsive to the evolving needs of Cal undergraduates.
I would like to thank the members of the search committee and the staff of the Student Learning Center for their thoughtful and engaged service throughout the process. Please join me in congratulating Khuyen on her appointment and in supporting her as she begins this new chapter of leadership at the Student Learning Center.
Sincerely,
Oliver O’Reilly
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
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