THUY
HUYNH
SENIOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Thuy currently serves as the Associate Director and Chief of Staff of the Community Programs Office, where she oversees all advising and operations of the department, strategic initiatives, programs and events, alumni relations, and staff of the CPO. In addition, she works with student leaders on campus through the CPO leadership fellows program on organizational management and strategic planning.
Thuy, originally from Pittsburg, Calif., studied political science and psychology with a minor in African-American studies at UCLA. She received her master’s in public administration at the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government as a member of the Mid-Career MPA cohort.
While studying at UCLA, Thuy was a significant and very prominent student leader who valued working with students from all historically underrepresented backgrounds. Thuy started as a CPO office intern upon entering UCLA. After her internship, Thuy became involved in the Student Retention Center’s Southeast Asian Campus Learning Education and Retention (SEA CLEAR) project, working her way to the role of assistant director. Thuy was elected president of the Vietnamese Student Union (VSU) during her senior year, and was appointed by the Undergraduate Students Association Council to the Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) where she was responsible for working with the committee to oversee the $32 million Student Services Fee budget. Thuy was the campaign manager for the Practicing Leadership and Empowerment to Develop Growth through Education (PLEDGE) referendum of 2009, which helped to support the Daily Bruin, Campus Retention Committee, Student Initiated Outreach Committee, Marching Band, and which also helped to create funding for the CPO Students Association (CPOSA), and the Student Risk and Education Committee (SREC).
Prior to her return to UCLA, Thuy worked at the University of Southern California as the Director of Programs and Community Engagement with the Institute of Politics. In that role, Thuy managed all programs ranging from large-scale conferences, political debates, and discussion panels with political and policy experts. Thuy participated in the prestigious Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs, a post-graduate experiential leadership training program in Southern California.