David Chih

Director
he/him/his

Dr. David Chih is the founding director of the UIUC Asian American Cultural Center which opened in 2005. For over 30 years, David has focused on issues of diversity and inclusion in higher education with particular emphasis on Asian American and international student communities. Since coming to UIUC in 1998, he has served as assistant dean of students for Asian Pacific American Affairs and as a clinical counselor in the Counseling Center. He also served as interim associate vice chancellor for student affairs and director of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations which is comprised of UIUC’s eight cultural/resource centers. He has received the outstanding commitment in education award from the Illinois State Treasurer, UIUC Student Affairs outstanding staff award, and UIUC outstanding Asian American faculty-staff award. He received a PhD in counseling psychology and a BA in East Asian studies and psychology from Indiana University, an MS in psychology from Purdue University, and completed a doctoral internship in psychology at Michigan State University Counseling Center. David is a second-generation Chinese American born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana.

Shiori Silver

Associate Director
she/her/hers

Born in Japan and raised in northeast Ohio, Shiori Silver (she/her/hers) earned a BS in Human Development and Family Studies from The Ohio State University and an MS in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University. For the past 10 years, Shiori has been a student affairs professional working in residential life at Virginia Commonwealth University, California State University Sacramento, and UIUC (since 2018). Shiori is a doctoral student in the Diversity & Equity in Education program through the UIUC College of Education. Her research interests include Asian and Asian American student experiences in higher education including the impact of anti-Asian sentiments during COVID-19.

Flordemia dela Vega Conrad

Office Manager
she/her/hers

Flordemia has worked in the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations (OIIR) since 2009 with La Casa Cultural Latina, Native American House, and Diversity & Social Justice Education. She earned a B.A. in mass communication from Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Philippines. She likes learning about the wide array of cultures and backgrounds of the students and staff with whom she works with. Flordemia likes to spend time with her family, friends and her beloved pet dog and also enjoys listening to variety of music, traveling, food tasting, cooking and gardening. Flordemia is a first-generation Filipina American who came to the US in 2003.