The Asian American Initiative
at Columbia University
Open Opportunities
AAI Fellow, Programs and Communications
Reports to: Director of Administration and Finance (DAAF)
The Asian American Initiative (AAI) Fellow is a one-year position, starting June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027. The AAI Fellow supports the DAAF and assists with a variety of administrative, operational, outreach and communications and program coordination efforts. The fellow also drives outreach engagement, is an active presence in the planning and coordination of events, and interacts closely with the Communications Director in the Department of Sociology, and with Columbia Creative for marketing and web design and edits, in collaboration with other AAI staff members. The Fellow is integral to AAI’s ability to advance our mission, and is the linchpin that keeps AAI’s digital media presence lights on and our programming activity and engagement running.
The AAI Fellow must be a full-time registered undergraduate or graduate student for the duration of employment.
Responsibilities include:
General administrative and operations responsibilities include managing AAI Director’s agenda, scheduling and assisting with coordination of meetings and events, preparing presentation and event materials including for AAI events, press events and more.
Support planning and logistical coordination of all AAI public events and related activities.
Maintain and expand key metrics, systems and tracking, including outreach with other units of study at Columbia and beyond
Manage communications and content with a diverse group of partners and stakeholders, including student groups, donors, guest speakers, and staff, businesses and non-profits. Must be comfortable liaising with student leadership, faculty, and other department administrators on campus
Draft email communications and monthly newsletter, including writing news stories, social media and public announcements; manage website updates
Must be available to work 2-3 evening events
QUALIFICATIONS:
1+ years of related work experience
Exceptional written and verbal communications skills, strong interpersonal skills
Proficiency with social media platforms, content management systems (CMS), and design tools (Canva, Mailchimp, Creative Cloud); Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and video editing is a plus
Proficient in using social media professionally, strategically and dynamically (including
LinkedIn, Instagram and other toolsComfortable in fast-paced work environment with multiple priorities, objectives and deadlines
Demonstrated ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines
SALARY: $35 per hour (may work up to 35 hours during summer months; and up to 20 hours during the academic year) TO
APPLY: Submit a brief, persuasive cover letter describing why you would be the best fit for this position, along with a resume and transcript here.
DEADLINE: April 30, 2026, 5pm ET
Past Opportunities
2025 TAAF Summer Internship
This summer, the Asian American Initiative, in partnership with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), selected Kathleen Hoang and Dorothy Zhang as summer interns at TAAF. Kathleen and Dorothy worked on administrative support, process development and improvement, and project management. In addition to having a dedicated mentor, they participated in leadership and professional growth activities.
Founded in 2021 in response to rising anti-Asian hate and long-standing underinvestment in AAPI communities, TAAF supports the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in their pursuit of belonging and prosperity free from discrimination, slander, and violence. TAAF funds best-in-class organizations working to mobilize against hate and violence, educate communities, and reclaim narratives through its pillars of Anti-Hate & Safety, Education, Narrative Change, and Resources & Representation.
My summer at The Asian American Foundation was easily my favorite internship — having just graduated from Columbia, I am grateful to have been surrounded by incredible mentors who supported me in navigating all the different paths I could possibly take in my first year postgrad. Now as I move into fashion full-time, I carry with me the same purpose and community-driven values that fueled my political work, and I owe much of it to to TAAF.
Kathleen Hoang, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, recently graduated from Columbia University, where she studied the afterlives of war through military history and empire. Over the past eight years, she has organized across grassroots and federal spaces— from OCA, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Southeast Asian Freedom Network, and the White House Initiative on AANHPI—and with author Viet Thanh Nguyen on literary and academic projects. This summer, she is working with The Asian American Foundation as a Data & Research intern. Beyond advocacy, she moves through fashion spaces as a site of memory and resistance, exploring how art, politics, and justice converge.
Dorothy Zhang is a computer science major at Barnard College. Her research at the Columbia Computational Design Lab with Professor Lydia Chilton focuses on the role that LLMs can serve in promoting effective communication of complex scientific topics. She previously interned as a Software Engineer Intern at Samsara and as a Machine Learning Intern at the Port of Seattle. She is passionate about gender equality and diversity in the technology industry and hopes to pursue a career in which she can help drive change in this area.
Columbia AAI Academic Year Fellowship
The AAI Fellow works closely with the AAI Director and Director of Academic Administration and Finance on programming and development related to AAI, including curricular activities. The Summer Fellow is fully integrated into the Department of Sociology staff daily operations.
This year, Shay Stulman was selected as the Inaugural Columbia AAI Undergraduate Fellow.
Shay Stulman is a senior at Barnard College, majoring in Human Rights and History with a minor in Science and Public Policy. She is passionate about working at the intersection of academia, advocacy, and the arts. As a Laidlaw Scholar, she has researched environmental justice issues impacting low-income communities in the South. A Social Impact Fellow with Columbia World Projects, she has advocated for arts education for low-income Title I students in New York City. She works with various archives around NYC and with immigrant communities to raise awareness about cross-racial solidarity in Asian American organizing spaces. A flutist and Ryūteki player in Columbia’s Music Performance Program, Shay is overjoyed to serve as the inaugural summer fellow for the Asian American Initiative.